Panelists at the sixth annual Schieffer Symposium will discuss the role of the media coverage in a deadlocked Congress.

Bob Schieffer, moderator of CBS’ “Face the Nation” and 1959 university graduate, will host the symposium.

Nancy Styles, executive assistant to vice chancellor for Government Affairs, is responsible for marketing and communications for the Schieffer Symposium. She said the number of attendants varies year to year. As of Monday, 800 tickets had already been sold or promised. However, only 50 students had signed up to attend, she said.

Symposium panelists include Ann Curry, co-anchor of Dateline NBC and news anchor of the “Today Show,” Maureen Dowd, Pulitzer prize-winning columnist for The New York Times, Michael Eisner, CEO of The Tornante Company, and William Kristol, founder and editor of “The Weekly Standard.”

John Lumpkin, director of the Schieffer School of Journalism, said the panel was probably one of the best the symposium had ever had.

He said that the topic was extremely timely given that the controversy over health care left many other issues backed up in Congress.

Styles said, “(Bob Schieffer) outdoes himself each year with the quality of panelists at the symposium.”

Styles said she hoped students attended the event because this year’s panelists are more well-known than previous panelists. She said it is an important event for the community each year and students should take the opportunity to hear them.

Schieffer Symposium

When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Ed Landreth Auditorium

Students are admitted free with a valid student ID, but must RSVP to [email protected]. Tickets are $20 and are sold online at schiefferschool.tcu.edu.

Students who do not RSVP will still be admitted if there are seats available.