Alumni panel to discuss careers in journalism

Jen Dixon News Editor

Four Vassar graduates who have distinguished themselves in journalism will participate in a panel discussion sponsored by the Office of Regional Programs and the Office of Development. Matthew Brelis ’80, Paula Williams Madison ’74, Lucinda Franks Morgenthau ’68, and Chip Reid ’77 will speak on “Journalism in the 21st Century: Reflections on the Fourth Estate.” The discussion, moderated by Emma White ’05, will take place from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, on in the Students’ Building.

Brelis is an Associate Editor for the Boston Globe. His work received a Pulitzer Prize in 1987 and a Neiman Fellowship at Harvard University for the 2001-02 academic year. Journalist Morgenthau is a Pulitzer Prize winner who has written for The New York Times and The New Yorker. Madison is the President and General Manager of KNBC-TV, Los Angeles. Prior to moving to California in 2000, she was Vice President and News Director of WNBC-New York. Reid is an NBC correspondent and embedded reporter in Iraq.

In April 2004, Brelis, Morgenthau, Madison, and Reid participated in a panel discussion on “Journalism in the 21st Century,” a Vassar regonal program held at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Cambridge, Mass.

During this panel, the transcript of which was reprinted in the Fall 2004 Vassar Quarterly, Morgenthau addressed the issue of decreased public trust in the news media.

“Another surprising statistic is that less than 50 percent trust newspapers, and many more trust television news. As a print journalist, that is very shocking to me. But it’s really no wonder because there has been a parade of reporters who have distinguished themselves with lies and deceptions and have turned newspapers upside down,” she said.

The panel also addressed the 24-hour news cycle, increased competition for the attention of audiences, economic pressures, and the post-Sept. 11 political climate. Madison commented upon the differences between television and print jounalism. She also referred to herself and other Vassar graduates who went into journalism as having “a desire to tackle some of society’s more difficult issues.”

Madison said of her Vassar education, “I think we came out of Vassar College truly believing that we could change the world. I think we figured we could do it through journalism.” Madison stated that she was “hopeful” about Vassar’s newly developed Media Studies Program.