Jonathan Turley has seized the spotlight in the past seven months for his analysis of Kenneth Starr’s investigation of President Clinton, but he isn’t the only GW professor on television these days.
With media outlets constantly searching for academics to fill hours of discussion of unfolding events, GW law professors, political scientists and journalists are omnipresent on the television circuit.
GW’s famous faces say the University’s proximity to the political heart of Washington, D.C. has allowed GW to exploit the media’s appetite for political intellectuals and show off some of its most intelligent – and camera-friendly – faculty members.
Steve Roberts, a political communication professor and panelist on CNN’s Sunday show “Late Edition,” joked that GW professors have two things television producers need – a good location and free time in the summer.
“There is a sense of authority, being so close to the White House,” said Roberts, who is also a syndicated columnist with his wife, Cokie. “Part of what draws students here draws reporters here also.”
“There is high visibility of the University because of the relationship the public affairs office has built up with local and network news division,” said Karen Sibert, a public affairs specialist at GW. “We’re the University of choice because we’ve worked diligently in creating the relationship.”
GW professors represent the “inside the Beltway” viewpoint, said Terry Michael, a journalism professor who has appeared on CNBC’s “Hardball” and FOX Morning News.
“(Television programs) have so much time to fill, so they need so many talking heads,” Michael said. “They go to Washington think tanks and Washington universities.”
Michael said he believes academics are making more television appearances because it is a chance for professors to legitimize their research to the public.
“I think in the last couple of decades, people have increasingly defined their self-worth by how much time they’ve spent on TV,” he said. “It’s ego satisfaction.”
But Michael, who admits he appears on television partly for that reason, warns that many shows don’t allow guests to truly showcase their knowledge.
“These shows don’t show off intellect, they show off cleverness,” he said.
Michael said he appears on television because he feels he brings a unique viewpoint to the discussion partly because of his work as executive director of the Washington Center for Politics and Journalism, a political journalism program for college students.
“I do it because I have a unique perspective that a lot of people in politics and journalism don’t have,” he said. “I am a more objective reference of what’s happening in politics than my peers who are directly involved.”
Roberts said he appears on some programs because of their University connection – GW graduates and student interns make the decisions on major television news shows.
“There are GW graduates scattered throughout broadcasting,” Roberts said.
And while he said he is tired of the coverage the Clinton controversy has received in the media, he feels obligated to continue to give his insight.
“I’m obligated to appear,” Roberts said. “I think the coverage has been excessive and I think a lot of us feel that way.”
Roberts said he feels uncomfortable on programs, like CNN’s “Crossfire” that have a debate format.
“I did `Crossfire’ once and I vowed I’d never do it again,” he said. “They wanted people fighting with each other.”
Roberts said unwillingness to do certain programs might mean he is less of a celebrity than other pundits.
“The marketplace rewards people who will be as shrill as possible,” Roberts said. “They won’t get that from me.”
