8 TheFacultyRecord MARCH 20, 2006

Faculty Perspective In Print&On Air Press Is Still Powerful—But Growing Meeker Curtis Rodgers, dean of admissions at the School of General By Evan Cornog when the media were so central to man (he lies to Smith about the book’s title, Studies, on the trend for the national conversation. The latest evi- which he knows will upset his prime t was Thomas Carlyle, a British histori- young professionals to use dence of the centrality of the to ) hardly paints a bright picture of an of the 19th century, who popular- graduate school for our current state of affairs is the fact that . ized the term “fourth estate” in refer- launching career changes: two of the five films nominated for Best In contrast, Good Night, and Good Luck ence to the press. Carlyle credited an “There are many students I Picture in this year’s Academy Awards are presents a worshipful picture of one of the earlier man of letters, , with that we see switching from bio-pics of journalists, Capote and Good classic heroes of American ,the CBS the phrase, saying that Burke had observed finance, technology and Night, and Good Luck. broadcast icon Edward R. Murrow. The bad that in addition to the “three estates” repre- law to an intense field like guy is the oily red-baiting Sen. Joe McCarthy. sented in —king, lords and com- medicine. There are also a In the film, Murrow is the embodiment of mons—there was a “fourth estate,” the growing number of liberal that liberal media figure of conservatives’ press, more powerful than them all. arts professionals like nightmares—and, indeed, Murrow’s combat- This notion of the power of the press is a dancers and actors who ive style was nothing like the dexterously popular one among American conservatives come back to education to cautious tone of the so-called mainstream (although if the press is as liberal as they take up careers in teaching, media today. Murrow launches a crusade claim,it is hard to reconcile that notion,and economics, business. … against what he sees as McCarthy’s bullying, the idea of the press’s power, with the cur- [Such students] have a and helps to put the bully in his place, in rent Republican ascendancy in all branches wider skill set and end up spite of the possible (and actual) costs to of the federal government). Another testi- becoming much more him, his friends and CBS. The film overem- mony to the power of the press is the way .A.S. compelling and sophisticat- phasizes Murrow’s role in defeating that reporters have become targets of vio- A.M.P ed workers.” (Wall Street McCarthyism, but Murrow’s reports on lence by both sides in the Iraq conflict. Journal, 7 March ’06) Edward R. Murrow in Good Night and Good Luck. McCarthy really did exemplify what Carlyle Scores of news people have been killed meant by the press’s potential to function as since the war began, and they continue to Xavier Sala-i-Martin, Truman Capote’s strenuous pursuit of a fourth estate. be prime targets. professor of econom- the story of the murder of a Kansas family in Today the press is perhaps more timid, But if the press is powerful,it seems not to ics, on French Prime his book In Cold Blood provides a rich por- but it has grown even more central to the be well respected. Jayson Blair, the Dan Minister Dominique de trait of the as anti-hero, and distribution of power in America.This year’s Rather report on President Bush’s Texas Air Villepin’s renewed cam- Capote’s intellectual seduction of his most Oscars testify to a national concern with National Guard service (or lack of it), and paign to protect French important source, the murderer Perry the role of the press in our society.It may be other sins and stumbles of what bloggers call industry: “There’s a neo- Smith, walks a fascinating line between that the two phenomena are inextricably the MSM (mainstream media)—all have nationalism in Europe. They infatuation and cynicism. linked—that the press’ growing importance sapped the profession’s reputation. And the don’t even believe in their Capote’s despair when Smith and his fel- has required it to rein in its earlier, crusad- more recent fiasco surrounding James Frey’s own project. They say they low criminal, Dick Hickock, are granted a ing spirit. Is that a good thing, or not? fictionalized memoir, A Million Little want a big market for capi- stay of execution, thus postponing the Evan Cornog is publisher of the Pieces, provoked the apologetic outrage of tal and goods, but when it longed-for conclusion of Capote’s magnum Columbia Journalism Review and associate the nation’s empathy-in-chief,Oprah Winfrey. doesn’t go well, they resort opus, is brilliantly rendered. But the portrait dean of the Graduate School of Journalism. If journalists are currently unpopular, to neo-protectionism.” Philip Seymour Hoffman gives of Capote as He wrote this article originally for the Star- they are not ignored. I can recall no time (Newsweek International, a bribe-giving, insinuating and duplicitous Ledger of Newark, N.J. (26 Feb. 2006). 13 March ’06)

NY1 News report on the Columbia-led study of National State Attorneys General Program Encourages Law babies born to women liv- ing near the World Trade Students to Pursue Public Interest Careers Center who were preg- nant on 9/11: “Columbia’s In conversation with program founders Ellen Chapnick and James Tierney Center for Children’s Environmental Health is According to the program’s Web site, attorneys general are play- following 300 non-smok- olumbia Law School’s National State Attorneys General ing a more activist role, getting involved in policy that crosses state ing women who lived Program (NSGAP) celebrates its second anniversary this lines.What are some of the most striking examples? within two miles of the month. The brainchild of Ellen P. Chapnick and James E. AGs regularly work together on litigation. As the twin towers and were C Tierney, the program is the centerpiece of the Social James Tierney: federal government withdraws from protecting consumers, the envi- pregnant when the attacks Justice Initiatives launched by the law school three years ago to fur- ronment and enforcing antitrust laws, AGs are working to fill the gap happened. The study says ther the mission of assisting students to consider careers as public on a nonpartisan basis.In that sense,public advocacy by state attorneys babies born to these interest and human rights lawyers. general can be seen as essential to the maintenance of a just society. women were smaller and The Record asked Chapnick, who serves as dean for Social Justice had lower birth weights Initiatives, and Tierney, a former Attorney General of Maine who now The program recently held a than babies born farther lectures at the law school, for a conference on oversight and reg- away. [A]t least half...had brief progress report. ulation of charitable organiza- significant levels of toxins tions by attorneys general, focus- that could increase their Why was the program ing on the case that arose out of risk of cancer.” (“Babies launched initially, and what the diversification efforts of the Born Near WTC Site Feel has been accomplished thus far? Hershey Trust. Can you tell us a Effects of Terror Attacks,” James Tierney: Our original bit more about this case—why 12 March ’06) goal was to bring together attor- neys general, the academic com- was it so controversial? Ellen Chapnick: The con- New York Post feature munity, private practitioners and on the March reunion of advocacy groups in order to dis- ference took the diversification efforts of the Hershey Trust as its Columbia Review alums: cuss a multitude of vital issues that point of departure because it is a “Few undergraduate college are facing state attorneys general. well-known case that provides a literary magazines have We have now held conferences on lens for thinking about whether been staffed … by as much corporate governance, global the role of the attorney general is talent as the Columbia warming, labor law enforcement restricted to the traditional duties Review. Many of its distin- and the regulation of charities. Scott Hug of enforcing the donor’s intent or guished alumni will gather Ellen Chapnick: The James Tierney conferring with a law student. if it mandates protection of a this Saturday in Morning- NSGAP has enriched the range broader public interest. We lis- side Heights to read and of programs on offer at Columbia tened to a presentation by the lawyer who was Attorney General of reminisce at what is being Law School (CLS) by increasing awareness about the important and Pennsylvania during the Hershey case. He said he construed his called the Review’s first- interesting work done by state attorneys general and by encouraging duties as embracing the public interest under the circumstances of ever reunion. Authors from more students to seek summer and postgraduate employment in this case. This was followed by reactions from expert academics, the 1930s to the present those offices.We have done so by inviting law school students to par- some of whom thought his responsibility had been more limited. will include Pulitzer Prize ticipate in our conferences; by inviting attorneys general (AGs) to winners (Richard Howard address law school classes; by offering one-on-one counseling ses- Any plans for future conferences or publications? and Louis Simpson), a for- sions with Jim Tierney to interested students (he has ten years of We expect to present a large conference and mer poet laureate (Daniel experience as a state attorney general); and by fostering three law Ellen Chapnick: several smaller conversations in the next 12 months and to encour- Hoffman), and well-known school classes on the role of the AG. age publications in connection with these events. However, we do names such as Luc Sante not have specific topics yet as we still need to consult with our advi- and Paul Auster. Recent edi- Can you point to any success stories yet? sory board, particularly the AG members.And we are now engaged tors, Jennifer Glaser and Ellen Chapnick: Most state government offices do not hire stu- in fact-finding to determine the best next steps to follow up the sig- Sarah Robinson, will be on dents immediately after graduation, but we do have a couple. One stu- nificantly increased interest among AGs in the oversight and regula- hand to welcome them.” dent, who came to CLS after a career as an analyst on Wall Street, tion of charitable organizations, as a result of our recent conference. (“Rare Literary Union at worked in the New Jersey AG’s office upon graduation and has since Columbia,”by Gary Shapiro, accepted a position with the U.S.Attorney’s Office for NYC’s Eastern For more information on the National State Attorneys General 9 March ’06) District. Another student went to the New York AG’s office after work- ing as a public defender and at the war crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone. Program, go to: www.law.columbia.edu/center_program/ag