NAMES IN THE NEWS : Politics, Journalism Scored
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Harry S. Truman would be appalled by presidential politics if he were alive today, co-anchor Jim Lehrer of “The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour” says, and he wouldn’t be pleased with journalists, either.
“He would be outraged at the way Presidents are elected, at the political campaign process that opens in the mud and closes in the gutter,” Lehrer said Tuesday. “He would be appalled that candidates are graded on how they handle questions, rather than how or whether they answer.”
Lehrer accepted the Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award on behalf of partner Robert MacNeil for the “NewsHour,” now in its 14th season on public television.
The award has been given annually since 1973 on Truman’s birthday. Other recipients have included former President Gerald R. Ford, Dr. Jonas Salk, Sen. Barry Goldwater and Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr.
Lehrer said he believes that Truman would be upset about the turns journalism has taken.
“He would be appalled at how somebody named Marla Maples is made a national celebrity by the press, simply because she had a relationship with a married millionaire named Donald Trump,” he said.
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