Former executive editor of The Washington Post Leonard Downie Jr. emphasized the importance of good journalism in a time of great national challenges during the Flinn Foundation Centennial Lecture.
“The demand for accurate news is stronger than ever,” Downie said Thursday night.
Downie said his biggest fear about the future of journalism is the fate of what he considers its most essential element — holding government agencies accountable.
“The news exposes problems, holds accountable those in power and helps to right wrongs,” he said.
The Centennial Lecture is an annual event featuring noted diplomats, scientists, playwrights and authors.
Downie’s lecture focused on the upcoming presidential election, world conflicts and the changing face of news media in an online world.
Downie, also an award-winning reporter, retired from The Washington Post, where he worked for more than 40 years, in September. He began as a Post summer intern in 1964 and gradually made his way up to managing editor and then executive editor in 1991. The Post won a record 25 Pulitzer Prizes under his direction.
Lexi Noice, program coordinator for Barrett, the Honors College, said Downie’s understanding of politics and the current political atmosphere made him the ideal lecturer.
“We asked [Downie] to speak because of the timing of the lecture, it being in the fall of one of the most historic elections of our time,” Noice said. “We felt his expertise in politics and his experiences as an editor speak to current affairs better than most.”
Students from a variety of majors attended the lecture to listen to Downie speak about politics and the media’s role in current affairs.
“He can speak to nonjournalism majors because that is his job — to disseminate news to Americans who just want to know what’s going on,” Noice said. “He’s used to speaking to a general audience, so what he talked about interests everyone.”
Bioengineering freshman Brendan Mulligan said he appreciated when Downie displayed his extensive knowledge on politics and foreign affairs.
Mulligan said he noticed the shift in the news media Downie discussed in his lecture.
“Out of convenience, I have begun to consume more online news media,” Mulligan said. “I still consume the news, just in a different way.”
Economics freshman Danielle Bäck said she thought Downie’s speech was very informative about the current state of the election and the changing role of media in world affairs. She said she liked that he brought up the idea of accountability — something Bäck said she doesn’t normally hear much from the news media.
“I believe accountability reporting is necessary for a good democracy,” Bäck said. “I think it’s one of the central elements of our society.”
Downie is scheduled to attend luncheons with students Friday and Saturday and will address students at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the Downtown Phoenix campus Monday at 7 p.m.
Reach the reporter at lauren.gambino@asu.edu.
