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The Daily OrangeSymposium to honor New York Times reporter, examine digital journalism
By Kyle C. Leach
Posted: 10/27/09, 3:32 AM EST Section: News
Robin Toner filed more than 1,900 stories when she worked as the first female national political correspondent for The New York Times.
Toner, known for her thorough fact checking, had only about a half dozen published corrections during that time. The 1976 SU alumnus died in December 2008 after complications from colon cancer.
"She was smart as hell," said Robert McClure, professor of political science and public affairs at the Maxwell School in Syracuse University. "A lot of people are smart, but not all smart people care about the facts. In fact, a lot of smart people don't. They think they're so smart, they don't have to care about the facts. But Robin wasn't one of those."
SU will honor Toner's life on Tuesday with the "Robin Toner Symposium: Honoring the Life and Work of a "Reporter's Reporter" at 1 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Toner began her political reporting career in West Virginia at The Charleston Daily Mail before moving south to work at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She joined The New York Times in 1985 and covered five presidential elections, including serving as lead reporter for the 1992 election between Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot.
The symposium will include a video commemorating Toner's work in the industry. Jill Abramson and Richard Berke, managing editor and assistant managing editor of The New York Times, will deliver the keynote address.
Tuesday's panelists will discuss technology's affect on the journalism field, said Charlotte Grimes, the Knight Chair of political reporting at SU. Grimes said the panelists will focus on one question: "Does it give them more opportunity to explore issues or does it create more problems when you have a deadline a minute?"
Grimes and McClure organized the panelists who will discuss the impact of 24-hour news cycles and 60-second news clips on political reporting.
"We have five of probably the world's best political and public policy reporters on this panel," Grimes said. "They are a walking, talking library of these candidates, issues, campaigns and process of politics and governance."
Alongside Abramson and Berke will sit Gwen Ifill, The Washington Post's national political correspondent, Beth Frerking, a senior editor at Politico.com and Adam Nagourney, chief political correspondent for The New York Times.
"I believe (journalism) is under attack and I worry that without the Dan Balzs, and the Gwen Ifills, and the Adam Nagourneys, and the Robin Toners, the quality of public life in the United States will not be as good as it once was," McClure said.
Grimes said Toner's reporting skills are still revered today: "Robin was relentless, wouldn't let go of a subject, cultivated her sources. She had that nose for news and that kind of determination to go for the story. That makes her a role model and inspiration."
Toner is survived by husband Peter Gosselin, the chief economic correspondent for The Los Angeles Times, and her twin children, Jacob and Nora.
kcleach@syr.edu
Toner, known for her thorough fact checking, had only about a half dozen published corrections during that time. The 1976 SU alumnus died in December 2008 after complications from colon cancer.
"She was smart as hell," said Robert McClure, professor of political science and public affairs at the Maxwell School in Syracuse University. "A lot of people are smart, but not all smart people care about the facts. In fact, a lot of smart people don't. They think they're so smart, they don't have to care about the facts. But Robin wasn't one of those."
SU will honor Toner's life on Tuesday with the "Robin Toner Symposium: Honoring the Life and Work of a "Reporter's Reporter" at 1 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Toner began her political reporting career in West Virginia at The Charleston Daily Mail before moving south to work at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She joined The New York Times in 1985 and covered five presidential elections, including serving as lead reporter for the 1992 election between Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot.
The symposium will include a video commemorating Toner's work in the industry. Jill Abramson and Richard Berke, managing editor and assistant managing editor of The New York Times, will deliver the keynote address.
Tuesday's panelists will discuss technology's affect on the journalism field, said Charlotte Grimes, the Knight Chair of political reporting at SU. Grimes said the panelists will focus on one question: "Does it give them more opportunity to explore issues or does it create more problems when you have a deadline a minute?"
Grimes and McClure organized the panelists who will discuss the impact of 24-hour news cycles and 60-second news clips on political reporting.
"We have five of probably the world's best political and public policy reporters on this panel," Grimes said. "They are a walking, talking library of these candidates, issues, campaigns and process of politics and governance."
Alongside Abramson and Berke will sit Gwen Ifill, The Washington Post's national political correspondent, Beth Frerking, a senior editor at Politico.com and Adam Nagourney, chief political correspondent for The New York Times.
"I believe (journalism) is under attack and I worry that without the Dan Balzs, and the Gwen Ifills, and the Adam Nagourneys, and the Robin Toners, the quality of public life in the United States will not be as good as it once was," McClure said.
Grimes said Toner's reporting skills are still revered today: "Robin was relentless, wouldn't let go of a subject, cultivated her sources. She had that nose for news and that kind of determination to go for the story. That makes her a role model and inspiration."
Toner is survived by husband Peter Gosselin, the chief economic correspondent for The Los Angeles Times, and her twin children, Jacob and Nora.
kcleach@syr.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Harry Curry
posted 10/27/09 @ 4:38 PM EST
Very good report. It's time we all pay attention to the facts. Harry
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