In the third annual Schieffer Symposium on Tuesday night, NBC moderator Tim Russert said he did not divulge the name of a CIA agent to Lewis “Scooter” Libby.During the symposium in Ed Landreth Auditorium, Russert reflected on his experience as a part of the Libby trial, saying it was his duty as a reporter and a citizen to tell the truth when he was on the witness stand.
“I was aware that Libby was telling an untruth, and as a citizen, I wouldn’t stand for it,” Russert said. “I didn’t enjoy having to be up there, and I don’t relish what happened to him and his family. But as a citizen and a journalist, I didn’t have any other choice but to tell the truth.”
Russert, along with some other top names in journalism, also discussed the presidential election and the firings of U.S. attorneys.
Between 800 to 1,000 people were in attendance at the symposium, said Tracy Syler-Jones, assistant vice chancellor for marketing and communication for TCU.
The symposium, “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of the News: The Media’s Role in a Democracy,” was moderated by 1959 TCU alumnus Bob Schieffer, who is CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent and host of “Face the Nation.” TCU’s journalism school was named after Schieffer in March 2005.
“Last year’s symposium was focused on the changing communication landscape,” Schieffer said. “But these days, there’s so much news that we need to focus on that tonight.”
The panel of journalists featured NBC News’ Russert, New York Times executive editor Bill Keller, ABC News legal correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg and Earl G. Graves, founder and publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine.
“If I could have a dinner party to talk about the news, I couldn’t think of a better group of people to invite,” Schieffer said.
In a press conference before the symposium, Schieffer, Russert, Keller and Greenburg discussed the media’s responsibility to the public. Both Keller and Greenburg agreed that it’s the duty of journalists to educate and inform.
Keller said journalists should be expected to report more about the war than some may want to know.
“Some people care because it’s their job to care,” he said, referring to people with invested international interests. “But others care because they think it’s part of being a citizen. It should be high up in the story why the reader should care.”
When asked what he thought about presidential candidate John Edwards’ announcement that his wife’s breast cancer had returned, Keller said it brought out a new side of the candidate that the United States hadn’t seen before.
“We saw a new side of compassion from Edwards,” Keller said. “In that announcement, we saw more character from a presidential candidate than ever before.”
Graves said the media covered the firing of eight U.S. attorneys too much, and that Alberto Gonzales, the attorney general responsible for the firings, should step down.
“This case is the new Anna Nicole (Smith) story of the week,” Graves said. “There are more important issues we should be focusing on. Gonzales should step down to prevent further embarrassment for the administration.”
Schieffer also talked about the need for free press.
“In a democracy, the news provides a second source of information about the government,” he said. “I believe we need a shield law so citizens can have a full, independent picture of what the government is doing.
