Prof. Williams—who identified himself as a registered Dem—couldn't have been nicer or more gracious, and gave me absolute free rein. After I spent a few minutes at the beginning of each section discussing NewsBusters and related subjects and offering my general take on the MSM and the elections, the students and I spent the rest of the hour exchanging ideas and generally talking politics.
The good news: the students were bright, well-informed and articulate. For that matter, with one or two exceptions, they didn't seem particularly doctrinaire or hard-line in their politics.
The bad news: of all the students who expressed a presidential preference—and many did—every single one supported Obama. Not one student identified himself as a McCain supporter or Republican.
Prof. Williams tells me that, based on their written assignments, there are some Republicans among the students. But they are rare, and he acknowledged that they are reluctant to express themselves openly, for fear of recriminations from their classmates.
Remember, these are media professionals in training. Ithaca College has a solid reputation, and an excellent record in placing people in the field. Robert Iger, Disney CEO, is one prominent IC alum. The students I met with today are the folks who in years to come will be producing and directing MSM shows and working at newspapers across the country.
And so the MSM goes . . .
