November 07, 2008

SIUC to host veteran journalist Doyle McManus

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Veteran journalist Doyle McManus, Washington bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, will provide his perspective on the history-making 2008 presidential election on Nov. 17 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute will host McManus for a luncheon, which will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of Learning in Retirement, a major co-sponsor of the event. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m.in the SIUC Student Center Ballroom B. The lecture begins about noon.

Admission is free, but registration is required for meal considerations and seating is limited. To register, contact institute project coordinator Christina Rich at 618/453-4076 or by email at clrich@siu.edu. The deadline for reservations is Thursday, Nov. 13.

“Doyle McManus is one of the leading political journalists in the nation,” said institute assistant director Matt Baughman. “His visit, on the heels of an historic presidential election, provides an opportunity to hear his thoughtful analysis on the 2008 race.

“McManus has covered every presidential election since 1984 while working for one of the nation's premier daily newspapers,” Baughman said. “It is a privilege to have him share his insights on this year’s election by drawing on his campaign experiences over the past two-and-a-half decades.”

A veteran reporter on national and international issues for more than 30 years, McManus joined the Los Angeles Times in 1978, and has covered every presidential election campaign since 1984, according to his biography. McManus is a four-time winner of the National Press Club’s Edwin Hood Award for reporting on U.S. foreign policy. He is a frequent guest on PBS’ “Washington Week,” CBS’ “Face the Nation,” and NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday.”

McManus is also the author or co-author of three books, including the best-seller, “Landslide: The Unmaking of the President, 1984-88.” He is a graduate of Stanford University, and a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Brussels.

SIUC’s School of Journalism is another co-sponsor. William H. Freivogel, director of the School of Journalism and a visiting professor at the institute, is a friend of McManus and invited him to SIUC.

McManus will visit with students in the School of Journalism while on campus, Baughman said.

For more information, contact Baughman at 618/453-4009.