Robert McCarthy
Robert McCarthy, a WKBW-TV political analyst, will deliver this year’s Constitution Day keynote “Freedom of the Press – It's in the Constitution!” on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
The address by the retired Buffalo News reporter, at 11 a.m. in Williams Center Room S204, will center on the relationship between politicians and reporters and how those in power cannot hide from their obligation to interact with their constituents through the press. Mr. McCarthy argues that the Constitution – in its own way – requires that politicians and the press interact.
“I expect to draw on my experiences over 47 years in the newspaper business – 30 as a political reporter for The Buffalo News,” McCarthy said. He also plans to delve into the themes and messaging in this year's national and state elections. The address will be a dialogue and question and answer session. Cookies and lemonade will be furnished.
Discussing the importance of this year’s Constitution Day keynote, Department of Communication Associate Professor Angela McGowan-Kirsch shared, “We come to know the political candidates and issues through the press. Given the significance of this year’s elections, the American Democracy Project thought it was fitting to bring someone with a rich history in the media to campus.”
This is shaping up to be an unprecedented election year, Dr. McGowan-Kirsch observes.
“Between record levels of mis/disinformation and the fluidity of the presidential election, democracy hangs in the balance. We hope people from the campus and Fredonia communities join us as we learn about how a reporter’s experience gathering the news, reporting it and sharing it,” added McGowan-Kirsch, who is chair of the American Democracy Project.
McCarthy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from St. Bonaventure University, received a 2006 New York State Publishers Association first place award with colleague Michael Beebe for stories on irregularities in the State Liquor Authority that led to the chairman’s resignation and major reforms of the agency.
A 2002 series of articles co-authored with Mr. Beebe on how State Supreme Court candidates are chosen was nominated by the Buffalo News for a Pulitzer Prize.
McCarthy has covered all major elections in New York state and Western New York since 1992, including 14 national conventions. He was named one of New York’s 10 most influential political journalists by Brill’s Content magazine and often serves as a panelist for local and statewide debates.
A voter registration drive will be conducted adjacent to Room S204 from 10 to 11:50 a.m. At noon, lunch will be served. Everyone is welcome to attend the lunch and speak informally with McCarthy.
The Constitution Day address is sponsored by the American Democracy Project with support from the Carnahan Jackson Fund for the Humanities of the Fredonia College Foundation.
