Political expert and CNN senior political analyst David Gergen (pictured, above left) praised the USC Annenberg School's recent name change and congratulated Dean Ernest J. Wilson III (below right) and the School's faculty during an Oct. 8 lecture at USC's Bovard Auditorium.
Gergen, speaking as part of the President's Distinguished Lecture Series at USC, discussed the state of p
"Is there a way we can lift the quality of the discourse in the country? Can we get away from the lunacy and vitriol that we've reached?"
He then commended USC Annenberg on its name change to the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, saying it is a positive step that represents the importance of journalism in the United States.
"You have a great new dean here," Gergen said, adding that Dean Wilson is working with faculty and colleagues to help ensure the integrity and professionalism of the media industry.
He also described the decline in the quality of American political commentary and the weakening of American journalism. He said journalists trained at a place such as USC Annenberg could help improve the current state of journalism.
Gergen is a professor of public service at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of its Center for Public Leadership. He is also editor-at-large for U.S. News & World Report and a Senior Political Analyst for CNN. In earlier years, he served as a White House adviser to Presidents Clinton, Reagan, Ford and Nixon.
*Rohan Venkataramakrishnan, a junior majoring in Print Journalism, contributed to this story.
Daily Trojan article on Gergen's visit
