USC Annenberg, Bloomberg, & Harvard Convene Journalists & Strategists for Candid Conversations on Politics & the Media at National Party Conventions

Coming soon: Poll asking voters where they get their political news to be released Aug. 24

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Top journalists and political strategists will offer straightforward assessments of the campaigns and the press, while exploring the role media has in shaping the national political discourse, at a series of public events held during the national political conventions in Tampa and Charlotte.

Politics & the Media: Bridging the Political Divide in the 2012 Election is hosted by Norman Pearlstine of Bloomberg, Geoffrey Cowan of the Center on Communication Leadership & Policy at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Trey Grayson of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

These discussions are open to the press and the public. Limited seating is available. Registration required. To RSVP, visit communicationleadership.usc.edu, email [email protected] or call 213-337-3100. Viewers may also watch the events live online at bloomberg.com/live-stream.

Sunday, August 26, 2012 (Tampa)
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. The Bloomberg Link Tampa, Knightspointe at Harbour Island, 2^nd Floor, 601 South Harbour Island, Tampa FL 33602.

Confirmed participants: Jill Abramson, executive editor, The New York Times; Russ Schriefer, political and media strategist, Romney for President; Charles Spies, founder and treasurer, Restore Our Future; Al Hunt, Washington editor, Bloomberg News; Dan Schnur, director, USC Unruh Institute of Politics and senior fellow, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy.

Monday, September 3, 2012 (Charlotte)
2:00 – 3:30 p.m, The Bloomberg Link Charlotte, EpiCentre - Level 3, 210 East Trade Street, Charlotte NC 28202.

Confirmed participants:  Marcus Brauchli, executive editor, The Washington Post; Matt Bai, chief political correspondent, The New York Times Magazine; Olivia Ma, news and politics manager, YouTube; Ben LaBolt, press secretary, Obama for America; Al Hunt, Washington editor, Bloomberg News; Dan Schnur, director, USC Unruh Institute of Politics and senior fellow, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy. Hunt will serve as program moderator.

The program will also include a presentation by Schnur on results from the USC Annenberg-Los Angeles Times Poll on Politics and the Press, which was conducted immediately following the announcement of Rep. Paul Ryan as the Republican candidate for Vice President.

"Our job is to inform the public with facts about the critical issues in this year's U.S. elections," said Norman Pearlstine, chief content officer for Bloomberg LP. "By joining forces with USC Annenberg and Harvard, we will have a substantive debate about the role of the media in shaping political dialogue and the importance of accurate, non-biased and precise reporting."

"We are delighted to partner with Bloomberg and Harvard's Institute of Politics to bring together some of the field's brightest leaders for an insightful discussion on the ways the press, including new media, are setting the tone for political debate as the nation heads into a spirited general election campaign," said Geoffrey Cowan, USC Annenberg dean emeritus and director of the Center on Communication Leadership & Policy.

"The Institute of Politics is pleased to join Bloomberg and USC Annenberg at our National Party Conventions in producing a frank look at how traditional and new media define America's political discourse and continue to shape the 2012 election cycle," said Harvard's Institute of Politics Director Trey Grayson.

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On Aug. 24, results will be released from the USC Annenberg/Los Angeles Times Poll, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters nationwide on a range of media issues, including media consumption habits, where voters get their news, and whether they believe the media has an ideological bent. The poll was conducted from Aug. 13-19 on behalf of the Los Angeles Times and the USC Annenberg Center for Communication Leadership and Policy, by Republican polling firm American Viewpoint and Democratic polling firm Greenberg, Quinlan Rosner. For more information about the poll, call Gretchen Parker at 213-740-6302 or email [email protected].

CONTACTS:

• Geoffrey Baum, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy, 213-337-3100
• Meghan Womack, Bloomberg, 212-617-8514
• Esten Perez, Harvard Institute of Politics, 617-496-4009

SOURCE USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism