Washington Week: Gwen Ifill

Each week, the country's top reporters join moderator Gwen Ifill for an in-depth discussion of the week's top news from Washington and around the world. The longest-running news and public affairs program on PBS, "Washington Week" features journalists -- not pundits -- lending insight and perspective to the week's important news stories. Now, Ifill brings "Washington Week" online.

Ifill will be online Thursday, April 28, at Noon ET to take questions and comments.

Ifill is moderator and managing editor of "Washington Week" and senior correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." Ifill spent several years as a "Washington Week" panelist before taking over the moderator's chair in October 1999. Before coming to PBS, she spent five years at NBC News as chief congressional and political correspondent. Her reports appeared on "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw," "Today," "Meet the Press" and MSNBC. Ifill joined NBC News from The New York Times where she covered the White House and politics. She also covered national and local affairs for The Washington Post, Baltimore Evening Sun, and Boston Herald American.

" Washington Week ," airs on WETA/Channel 26, Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. ( check local listings ).

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Anaheim, Calif.: Good morning Gwen. Can you tell us if this President knows who he will call on in advance during the press conference? If so, how are they chosen?

Gwen Ifill: Hello everybody.

I'm not sure I can speak with authority on your question. I gather the President has a list of who he wants to calls on. Other Presidents have as well, most famously Ronald Reagan.

Other than the custom that has the President call on the senior wire service reporter first, I don't believe there are any other expectations on the part of the reporters in the room.

I know when I have been in the room, I never knew whether I would be called on.

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Washington, D.C.: Ms, Ifill, thank you for taking questions today. A lot of press is given to poll numbers. For example, a week ago The Post ran a page one analysis story on a WP/ABC poll purportedly showing that a majority of Americans disagreed with the Senate rule changes currently being proposed (indeeed, that was the gist of the headline). The relevant question and response set was: "Would you support or oppose changing Senate rules to make it easier for the Republicans to confirm Bush's judicial nominees?" Sixty-six oppose, 26 favor. However, a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted just a day or two before The Post/ABC poll had an almost opposite conclusion when using a different phrasing of the question and a different sampling methodology: "Should Senate rules be changed to give every nominee receive a vote?" 56 percent yes, 22 percent no.

Given the apparent interest with poll numbers and some of the more spectacular poll-related problems we have had in the past (e.g. the calling of Florida in the 2000 presidential contest, the exit polls from the 2004 contest, etc.) do you think that journalists begin an independent evaluation of the accuracy of polls while reporting them? I may be weird, but a few in-depth stories on the fundamentals and pitfalls of polling would seem every interesting. Thanks.

Gwen Ifill: I agree that the wording of poll questions can often be the most important factor in determining the outcome. If you want to read more about how all this works, I would recommend to you the excellent work of Richard Morin at the Washington Post, who has done a great job of breaking down the challenges of polling in articles he has written over he past several years.

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Takoma Park, Md.: Good Afternoon, Ms. Ifill...

Q: Is the clock running out for Tom Delay? Is the GOP going to be willing to sacrifice him to save their majority status?

Thanks!

Gwen Ifill: If you know, I wish you'd let me know. We're at one of those drip-drip-drip moments in Washington politics where anyone who tells you they know what the outcome will be...probably shouldn't be trusted.

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Rochester Hills, Mich.: When President Bush conducts a press conference, must reporters submit questions in advance? Or, is President Bush still given a list of reporters to call on and told what questions will be asked?

Gwen Ifill: See above answer, with this addendum. To my knowledge, no questions are submitted in advance.

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Annapolis, Md.: Hi --

I watched President Bush's speech yesterday regarding our country's energy policies and I was surprised that he never mentioned the CAFE standards.

In the U.S., SUVs (along with minivans and pickup trucks) are classified as "light trucks" and are held to different standards as passenger cars. Currently, the standard for passenger cars is 27.5 mpg, while for light trucks it is only 20.7 mpg.

In April 2003, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it would increase the CAFE standards for light trucks by 1.5 mpg over the next three years.

Many feel that this increase is too little, especially after the EPA released a report that stated that the average fuel economy for the nation's vehicles dropped last year to its lowest level in 22 years.

So, if conserving energy is important, why not raise the CAFE requirements for light trucks and SUVs?

Gwen Ifill: Not sure this question is for me. Maybe you should direct it to your member of Congress.

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New York, N.Y.: As we enter the second Bush term, what is the state of the "minority" agenda in Washington and particularly the Buish Administration?

Gwen Ifill: By "minority" agenda, do you mean racial minorities? Political minorities? Cultural minorities? There's a different answer for every definition, especially if you are member of any of those groups...

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New York, N.Y.: The President's last primetime news conference resulted in an unflattering portrait of White House reporters bouncing fluff questions off the boilerplate repetitions of our obviously ill-informed chief of state. Can we expect a similar harangue this evening -- complimented by the suck up sounds of our lame press? Sarah McLendon must be spinning in her grave.

Gwen Ifill: I knew Sarah McClendon. I covered the White House when Sarah was there. I doubt she is spinning in her grave.

Reporters' jobs are to ask questions, as pointed and as clear as they can make them. The President's job at these press conferences is to get his message out. Often these goals collide.

We can ask and ask and ask, but only look like preening show-offs if the President, or any newsmaker, has determined his response in advance.

Often, Presidents and others purposely call on reporters who shout and harangue, knowing this only makes the questioner look bad...and they STILL don't have to answer the question!

Can you remember any occasion where a shouted, haranguing question garnered a useful response?

In short: being a White House reporter is a tough job, and more exposed than most. I've got nothing bad to say about them.

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Anonymous: Saw you at an event last night in Kutztown, Pa., with former CIA Director Tenet. I thought he was remarkably honest and open. What was your impression?

Gwen Ifill: I thought Tenet was very interesting. Saying he was "open" would probably overstate it. I wish he had allowed it to be aired on CSpan, but alas...

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New York, N.Y.: HI Gwen! What's your take on recent revelations (based on FOIA requests) that "Jeff Gannon" was in and out of the White House regularly, sometimes for hours, on days when there were no press briefings?

Man, if I had a news-reporting license I'd be all over THAT story -- what was his business? who was he seeing? who sponsored this guy, brought him along from Delaware anonymity to a seat in the press pool?

Is any reporting being done along these lines, that you know of? and if not, why not!

Thanks.

Gwen Ifill: Getting answers to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests sometimes take forever. I'd bet my eyeteeth there are many out there regarding Jeff Gannon...but also regarding scores of far more important stories that actually affect the lives of people who don't do what I do for a living.

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Fairbanks, Alaska: Why do you think the President would want a polarizing politician like Tom DeLay on his tour in support of Social Security?

Gwen Ifill: Tom DeLay is a loyal salesman and promoter of the President's agenda.

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Boone, N.C.: Dear Gwen,

Would you consider being Ted Koppel's successor on ABC's Nightline if you were asked? As a Washington Week regular viewer, I think you would be a natural for Nightline because of your broad range of interests and your composure as a moderator (no mean feat in this era of divisive politics).

Obviously, I'm just a viewer so I can't ask you myself. But if ABC doesn't ask you to consider the job, then they are ignoring the most qualified candidate.

Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure you'll do a great job at it.

Keep up the good work!

Your friend,

Jeff Eason

Gwen Ifill: Thanks Jeff, but I'm plenty busy where I am right now.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: Any guesses on what Crown Prince whispered into Bush's ear at the retreat? Here's my top three:

1. "When in Rome, do as the Romans -- unless you're the Crown Prince"

2. "Can't we all just get along?"

3. "Leave the gun, take the canolis"

Gwen Ifill: I would laugh at your jokes if I understood them. Surely you didn't send those to Leno too?

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Spokane, Wash.: The Senate Democrats call the judges they are fillbustering "extreme." What is so extreme about these judges?

Gwen Ifill: Extremism, of course, depends on where you sit. Activism too. People for the American Way things Antonin Scalia is an activist judge. Focus on the Family thinks Anthony Kennedy is.

With fights like these, it's no wonder confirmations get stalled.

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Annapolis, Md.: Re tonight's press conference. Some of President Bush's press conferences in the past have been primarily devoted to a speech first and a short question and answer session thereafter. Is there any indication as to whether tonight's conference will be a speech or a true press conference?

Gwen Ifill: Normally, the President's makes a prepared announcement or statement, then opens the news conference to questions. It's up to the White House how long this goes on. Reporting this morning seemed to suggest the Presdient wants to talk tonight about energy prices and oil production.

Safe bet, though, you will also hear questions about the Bolton nomination, Tom Delay's ethics, judicial nominations and any number of other frontburner issues.

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Bethesda, Md.: Do you think there is really "media bias" or is it that people do not form their own opinions or look at more than one source for information, do their own research, think for themselves?

Gwen Ifill: I could talk about this all day, but I'll boil it down to two thoughts.

1. Bias is in the eye of the beholder. Increasingly, people seem to be looking to news reporters to confirm their previously held opinions. When they do not, they are accused of "bias."

2. If bias exists in the news industry it is more likely to be found in the stories we choose not to cover, rather than in the ones we do.

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Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.: We now know who wrote the memo, but neither ABC nor the Post has backed up their claims that it was distributed by Republican leaders. They sure provided lots of ammunition for the "biased media" crowd to blog about. Do you think they went too far with this story and owe their readers either a correction or a retraction?

Gwen Ifill: I believe a Republican Senator, Mel Martinez, confirmed they he passed the memo on to Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin. What other proof do you need?

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Anaheim, Calif.: How excited do correspondents get on the day of a press conference? Especially those that will be on the floor. As a rule, are they on their own, or are questions ever suggested by editors/owners?

Gwen Ifill: I don't know if "excited" is the correct word, but I do kow that reporters are keenly aware of a couple of things:

-- they are finally going to get a chance to ask the President a direct question, and want to phrase it in such a way as to encourage an answer...

-- a lot of people will be watching -- many of them with their own opinions of what should be asked, by whom, and how.

I assume most reporters do what I did when I covered the White House -- solicit suggested questions from colleagues and even relatives.

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Iowa: I don't think most of the White House press corps is interested in playing "gotcha" games with the President. They, like many of us in the country, would like some legitimate answers about the many unhappy issues we are facing. Do you think this hastily-called primetime news conference will yield any real news or is it more a response to some of the recent polling that shows a drop in the President's approval ratings?

Gwen Ifill: Once again, my darned crystal ball is on the fritz.

I don't know what the news conference will yield, but I (along with you) will be watching it for just the types of clues you suggest.

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USA: If there was ever a time for impeachment of the executive branch -- now that the final WMD report has come back making it official that there never were any weapons to begin with -- now is it.

Clinton's affair? Nixon's coverup? Bah...

Launching an unnecessary and illegal war to satisfy the vendetta of a President's son and a vice president's thirst for oil strikes me as a high crime and misdeanor, don't you think?

Gwen Ifill: It must be nice to have such clarity about things.

My job, however, is to look for the shades of gray.

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Crystal City, Va.: IMHO polls make for bad news stories, and bad polls make for really bad news stories. The poll played out on the front page of The Post this week falls into the latter category, with an imbalanced sample and biased questions. What's your opinion of polls in general, and this one specifically?

Gwen Ifill: see above polling question and answer.

i have no reason (or expertise) to mistrust the Post poll.

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Anaheim, Calif.: Concerning media bias: I believe it was Mark Halperin who said "Republicans make the mistake of thinking we're out to get them, Democrats make the mistake of thinking we're their friend."

Gwen Ifill: Wow. Quoting Mark Halperin? He's an old friend. I will have to make sure to let him know I'm being called on to comment on his comments!

That said (and my bias being duly noted), I can't say I disagree with him.

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Charlotte, N.C.: Will the Senate vote to change the rules and eliminate filibusters against judicial nominations ?

Gwen Ifill: Crystal ball...fritz..dang.

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Munich, Germany: I'm not sure if international politics is on the agenda in this chat session, but do you think that the ongoing tiff between the U.S. and Venezuela is a sign of further disharmony in the Americas? Ive read that Rumsfeld and Rice have tried to isolate Chavez, with results that seemed to have backfired.

Gwen Ifill: No question that the Venezuela tiff could expand into more. Note that Secretary of State Rice managed to visit almost every big country EXCEPT Venezuela on her trip to Latin America this week.

See this NewsHour link: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/latin_america/jan-june05/chavez_4-25.html

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Gwen Ifill: Thanks everybody. Be sure to watch tomorrow night live at 8 pm (EST). We will hear about judicial nominations, Tom Delay, Social Security and the President's news conference...with regular panelists David Sanger of the New York Times, Alexis Simendinger of National Journal, Karen Tumulty of Time Magazine, and Gloria Borger of CBS News.

See you then!

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Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.