Jim Lehrer

10 Stories

An Iconic News Anchor Is Dead at 85
A Titan of
Journalism
Is Dead at 85
obituary

A Titan of Journalism Is Dead at 85

Jim Lehrer hosted PBS' NewsHour for decades

(Newser) - Jim Lehrer, who co-founded PBS' NewsHour and anchored the show for decades until his retirement in 2011, died Thursday at age 85, the public broadcasting station announced . Lehrer, who started his journalism career in Dallas in the 1960s, was the founding co-anchor, along with Robert MacNeil, of a single-topic PBS...

Martha Raddatz's Tough Moderating Wins Praise
 Moderator Raddatz  
 Shows How It's Done   
VP DEBATE

Moderator Raddatz Shows How It's Done

ABC correspondent wins wide praise

(Newser) - As with the Obama-Romney debate, a lot of the post- Biden-Ryan debate talk is focusing on the moderator—but this time they're saying nice things. Martha Raddatz, senior foreign affairs correspondent for ABC, "pursued each man with the vigor of a woman more accustomed to needling foreign leaders...

Lehrer: I Was Supposed to Stay Out of the Way

Moderator's only regret is that the time was too short

(Newser) - Lots of people have complained about Jim Lehrer's moderation—or lack thereof—during Wednesday's debate, but he says he did just fine. The goal "was to facilitate direct, extended exchanges between the candidates about issues of substance. Part of my moderator mission was to stay out of...

So, Who Told the Truth?
 So, Who Told the Truth? 
debate aftermath

So, Who Told the Truth?

Fact-checkers pore over last night's debate

(Newser) - Facts and numbers were flying in last night's debate, and President Obama and Mitt Romney agreed on so few of them that "the two men seemed to be inhabiting two parallel universes," Politico observes. Thankfully, a swarm of fact-checkers have been poring over the candidates' statements to...

The Debate's Biggest Loser: Jim Lehrer

Pundits slam 'useless' moderator

(Newser) - The Denver debate wasn't President Obama's finest moment , but many pundits say there was a bigger loser: PBS' Jim Lehrer. The 78-year-old moderator struggled to enforce time limits and seemed to let the candidates—especially Mitt Romney—take control, Politico reports. Fox's Chris Wallace accused Lehrer of...

Now in Crosshairs: Debate Moderators

Social media, confrontational candidates turn up heat

(Newser) - Jim Lehrer has been moderating presidential debates for decades, but lately, it's a lot tougher than it used to be. Candidates have started confronting not just their opponents but the moderators themselves, as Newt Gingrich showed us during the GOP primaries. And the general public can easily hammer chosen...

Jim Lehrer Leaving PBS' NewsHour

He'll remain involved with the show editorially, but won't anchor it

(Newser) - Jim Lehrer is stepping down from his regular anchor gig on PBS NewsHour, effective June 6, the network announced today. He’ll still appear on the show on some Fridays, moderating a regular segment in which David Brooks and Mark Shields debate, and will remain “involved in the editorial...

Schieffer Vows to Get Straight Answers in Debate

Says he will get tough with both candidates

(Newser) - CBS veteran broadcaster Bob Schieffer has vowed to stand firm when he moderates the final presidential debate tonight, and will press the candidates to answer questions put to them, Politico reports. Jim Lehrer, Gwen Ifill and Tom Brokaw have come under fire for being too easy on candidates in previous...

Pundits Rate Near-Tie Debate
 Pundits Rate Near-Tie Debate 
OPINION

Pundits Rate Near-Tie Debate

Obama likely comes out ahead by not losing

(Newser) - One consensus is emerging about last night’s debate: It was close. Here’s how the pundits are calling the squeaker:
  • “Barack Obama was running for prime minister” last night, while McCain was running for president, writes David Ignatius in the Washington Post. But neither was compelling, and neither
...

Usual Suspects to Host Debates
 Usual Suspects to Host Debates

Usual Suspects to Host Debates

(Newser) - The moderators for the three presidential debates have been announced, and none of them are particularly gasp-inducing, the Swamp reports. Tom Brokaw, interim host of Meet the Press, Jim Lehrer, of PBS’ News Hour, and Bob Schieffer of CBS’ Face the Nation, will each host a debate, while Gwen Ifill,...

10 Stories