Video Player

America at War?

Helen Thomas David Thorburn Charles Stewart III: November 4, 2002; Running Time: 01:42:59

About the Lecture

About the Lecture

Helen Thomas is introduced by Philip S. Khoury, Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

After her talk, Thomas participated in a panel discussion with David Thorburn, MIT Professor of Literature, and Charles Stewart III, MIT Professor of Political Science.

Lecture Details

Location: E-51 Bartos Theatre

About the Speakers

Helen Thomas

Columnist, Hearst News Service and "dean" of the White House press corps

Helen Thomas served for 57 years as a correspondent and White House bureau chief for United Press International. She began her long career as a "copy girl" on the now-defunct Washington Daily News, and, in 1943, joined United Press International writing radio news. In November, 1960, Thomas began covering President-elect John F. Kennedy, following him to the White House in January, 1961, as a member of the UPI team. Thomas was the only woman print journalist traveling with President Richard Nixon during his trip to China in 1972, and has since traveled around the world several times covering Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush. Now, as a columnist and no longer operating as an objective reporter, Thomas holds little back in her opinions about the Bush administration's policies, and asks "where is the outrage"?

David Thorburn

MIT Professor of Literature
MacVicar Faculty Fellow Director, MIT Communications Forum

David Thorburn has published widely on literary and cultural subjects and is currently completing a cultural history of American television, called Story Machine. He received his A.B. degree from Princeton, his M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford and taught at Yale for 10 years before joining MIT in 1976. He has edited collections of essays on romanticism, and on John Updike, as well as a widely used anthology of fiction, Initiation. He is a former Director of the Film and Media Studies Program and of the Cultural Studies Project.