Two distinguished political journalists will join the faculty of Duke University's Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy next fall to conduct seminars focusing on the intersection of media, politics and political ideology.
Judy Woodruff, a 1968 Duke political science graduate who has covered politics and other news for more than three decades at CNN, PBS and NBC, will teach "Media and Politics: The Clash of Ideology, Technology and Ownership."
David Brooks, a New York Times columnist and regular commentator on PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," will teach "Policy Wars: Liberalism and Conservatism in America."
Woodruff said she's looking forward to working not only with students interested in becoming journalists, but also those who want to become better consumers of news and information.
"I would love to have the opportunity to share with students some of what I have learned over the years as a journalist," Woodruff said. "I'd like to get them to think in new ways about the role of journalism in our society and in our democracy."
Brooks said his participation in a panel discussion at the Sanford Institute last spring encouraged him to return to Duke. "It has a reputation as a very lively place with good, lively students."
"Woodruff and Brooks' experiences at the highest levels of U.S. press and politics provide an unparalleled learning opportunity for Duke students and faculty," said Ellen Mickiewicz, director of Duke's DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy and a professor of public policy studies and political science.
Woodruff anchored CNN's "Inside Politics" for 12 years until June 2005, when she left to pursue interests in teaching, writing and public speaking. She was chief White House correspondent for NBC from 1977 to 1982, and covered Washington for the "Today" show.
Beginning in 1984, she anchored "Frontline" at PBS, where she also reported for "The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour." She covered many of the major events of the last three decades, including eight presidential races and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This year, she is working with PBS on "Generation Next: Speak Up. Be Heard," a project that is taking her across the country to interview young people about America's role in the world, as well as their beliefs about religion, politics, diversity and their future. The project will culminate in a series of documentary reports on PBS on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" and online. Woodruff served as a visiting fellow at Harvard University's Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy last fall.
"She is one of the smartest, most perceptive people we've had in journalism," Mickiewicz said. Although Woodruff has had many offers since leaving CNN, Mickiewicz noted her longstanding commitment to her alma mater. Woodruff served as a Duke trustee and has actively supported women's studies, the Baldwin Scholars Program and Duke's financial aid initiative.
Brooks was a senior editor of the Weekly Standard, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, and is the author of the book "Bobos In Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There." He previously taught a course at Yale University.
"We are excited that David Brooks will be joining us because he has a very wide and deep understanding of history and culture," Mickiewicz said. "The fact that he is a conservative will add to the 'marketplace of ideas.' Then again, many of his columns and appearances on the 'NewsHour' reflect other views. He is an independent thinker."
Brooks said while teaching he will continue writing columns and working on his next book, an exploration of the Greek definition of good character. "When you cover politics, you realize that knowing how to talk about character matters more and more. ! The way we hold ideas is more important than the ideas."
Brooks said the core question in his course will be: What do liberal and conservative mean anymore, if anything? "We'll read books from both traditions and ask if they have anything to do with the way modern liberals and conservatives actually behave."
Both journalists' courses have limited enrollment, and students will be selected based on a short essay written in response to a query posed by the visiting professor. Brooks' course will be a half-credit course.
Other noted journalists teaching at the DeWittWallaceCenter include former Washington Post columnist William Raspberry; former Time editor Susan Tifft and former NBC chief foreign correspondent John Dancy.
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The DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy encourages democratic media policies and practices around the world through research, education, policy development and professional training. For more information about the center, visit http://www.pubpol.duke.edu/centers/dewitt/index.html.