WRGW News Interview with Thomas Friedman

On Wednesday night Lisner Auditorium hosted an event titled, "America's Changing Role in the World and How the Press Covers It." Following the event, WRGW News Reporter Jackson Richman spoke with one of the panelists, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, about the topic.

WRGW News Interview with Thomas Friedman by Wrgw_News on Mixcloud

Lisner Auditorium and SMPA Host Distinguished Journalists to Discuss Media and Foreign Policy

by Jackson Richman

On Wednesday night, GW’s Lisner Auditorium hosted several well-respected journalists for a discussion on the press’ coverage of America’s changing role in the world. The discussion, moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS featured Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times; and Andrea Mitchell, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for NBC News.

From Iran to China to the Middle East, the panelists discussed the effects of American foreign policy both at home and abroad. When discussing Iran, Friedman noted that Iran played a critical role in ousting the Taliban, yet nonetheless was included as part of “Axis of Evil”, a phrase former President George W. Bush coined to include Iraq and North Korea during his 2002 State of the Union Address. Friedman also described in the U.S.-Iranian relationship a “34-year old Cold War”. However, he argued that the United States has a “fundamental interest” in ensuring Iran does not produce a nuclear weapon.

Mitchell discussed the Iranian nuclear negotiations as having a “small window,” while also emphasizing the role of Secretary of State John Kerry in leading the talks. With the Middle East, both Mitchell and Friedman agreed that Israel shouldn’t attack Syria because it would, as Friedman pointed out, give Iran an “excuse” to retaliate.

The panel also discussed their adventures covering important events. Mitchell said, in reference to traveling with the Secretary of State, “If they tell you the trip is a week, pack for two weeks.” The evening concluded with a question and answer session in which panelists were asked about the current state of the press in terms of covering international affairs.

  

The event was sponsored by The News Literacy Project and the School for Media and Public Affairs.

WRGW News at 6: Thursday, November 14, 2013

WRGW News at 6 11/14/13 by Wrgw_News on Mixcloud

Thomas Friedman Speaks to GW Students

Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, New York Times columnist and bestselling author Thomas Friedman spoke frankly to GW students last Thursday as a bookend to the class of 2013's summer reading program, a discussion on Friedman's book Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

A mostly-full Lisner Auditorium listened attentively as Friedman expanded upon themes originally introduced in his bestseller, promoting a "green revolution" and using the innovation in green energy to reassert American economic dominance. However, the lecture came with a twist; Friedman noted that the first edition of his book was published a week before the collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers, an event that cascaded into the current economic troubles the United States is facing today. He argued that the "Great Recession" is not just an economic event, but a signal that the world was growing in a broadly unsustainable fashion, accusing society of pursuing "situational values, not sustainable values."

In response, Friedman has released a second edition of his book which addresses climate change in the context of the economic crisis. In a similar vein as investment banks being saved by taxpayer money after reaping massive profits, he claims, the US approaches the environment with the same "faulty accounting" that socializes risk and privatizes profit. In order to ensure corporations pay the full cost of their pollution, Friedman called for a price on carbon, through either a carbon tax or the cap-and-trade system currently being considered by Congress.

University Prepares for Thomas Friedman

In preparation for the much-anticipated lecture and discussion with Thomas L. Friedman (New York Times columnist and author of Hot, Flat, and Crowded), the GW School of Business hosted a panel discussion for first year undergraduate business students.

The panel was moderated by Mark Starik—the Director of the GW Institute for Sustainability Research, Education, & Policy—and featured three professionals that work in the area of sustainability. The book Hot, Flat and Crowded (which was the freshmen recommended summer reading) was discussed in-depth.

Starik suggested other books focused on sustainability for students who want to further their knowledge, including the books Plan B 4.0, Green to Gold and Fostering Sustainable Behavior.

Tickets for the lecture and discussion with Tom Friedman are sold out. The event will take place in Lisner Auditorium on Thursday night at 7:30. WRGW will be in attendance and give our online readers and broadcast listeners the highlights of the night.