LESLEY STAHL SHARES INSIGHTS AS AWARD WINNING JOURNALIST

In the coveted world of today’s top female journalists,Lesley Stahl enjoys a prominent place of respect and authenticity.  She has long ago broken the proverbialglass ceiling, beginning her illustrious career at the age of 30 in 1972 whenshe was hired by CBS News, on the same day affirmative action was established.
Stahl went on to spend two decades at the White Housecovering the administrations of three presidents, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reaganand George H. W. Bush.  From March1991, she has been a respected co-editor at the highly successful televisionnews show “60 Minutes.”
Ms. Stahl spoke Wednesday night September 19, 2012 at theQuick Center on the campus of Fairfield University as part of its Open VisionsForum, sharing her insights, to a packed house, of decades in the political arenain general and in the upcoming presidential election in particular.
As one of the best broadcast journalists, with forty yearsof political experience, she feels energized by the current events.  Despite polls to the contrary, shebelieves the “upcoming debates are crucial” and hopes Americans will bewatching to judge the candidates for their competence, leadership andlikeability.  Stahl says thisdespite believing that the candidate, Obama or Romney, who is ahead before thedebates always wins.
Having covered the campaigns since 1972, she feels this yearis different and it is worrisome to her. Neither man is shifting to the middle,as if the middle has been hollowed out. Each man is appealing to the wings with no incentive to reach acompromise and so a gridlock is created. The advancement of technology is also playing a big role, with Twitterbeing more popular than television. She remembers “when there were only three television networks and apresident could speak to the entire nation, everyone watched and we were allbrought together, solidified.”
Today, Stahl claims we are “all tribes and all broken up”and it’s “government by Twitter.” She fears we will never get ahead if we don’t learn to compromise.  To Stahl, “we are still a 50/50country, on every issue.  We needto find a way to reestablish a middle ground…stop being polarized anddistrustful of each other.”
As a good newspaper woman, Lesley Stahl knowstwo things about the upcoming elections:  “A lot can happen infifty days “ and “The race is tight and anyone can bounce back.”  She hopes the American people will tunein and make informed choices.