Huffington Post Editor educates students on politics, media

Howard Fineman may have fallen off the stage mid-lecture, but his words rose to the occasion.

Fineman — the editorial director of The Huffington Post and former Newsweek political correspondent — who has covered every presidential campaign since 1984, spoke in Alumni Hall last night about the upcoming presidential election. The Pittsburgh native covered topics ranging from the upcoming presidential debate to his favorite pizza shop in Squirrel Hill over the course of his two-hour lecture. His tak, “Down to the Wire: The 2012 Presidential Election,” is part of Pitt’s American Experience Distinguished Lecture Series, presented by Pitt’s Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy and the University Honors College.

During his speech, Fineman clarified the thesis of his new book, “Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates that Define and Inspire Our Country.” He designated the thesis of his book as the positives of arguing.

“Far from a bad thing, to argue, a necessary thing, in fact it’s the defining feature of American cultures,” Fineman said.

Relating this to the recent presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Fineman said the candidates didn’t seem to be arguing about much. Fineman said one contestant did not seem to show up to the first debate, noting that Obama appeared to lack preparation.

In the question-and-answer period that followed Fineman’s lecture, one student asked how debates turned into “dueling lectures” instead of head-to-head arguments. Fineman responded by saying the recent debates seem to be more of memorized sound bites.

“Their first joint appearance could turn out to be the pivotal moment of this campaign,” Fineman said.

Fineman believes that in this presidential campaign, “a compromise is required” in order to make everyone happy. He said the federal government is wasteful and has consequently added to our overall national deficit.

“The country is unhappy with the economic course that it is on,” Fineman said.

Fineman said he believes that at the moment, the race between presidential candidates is dead even.

“All politicians talk about solving the deficit, but when it comes down to it, they have a more immediate concern,” Fineman said.

When asked about possible solutions to the national deficit, Fineman responded by saying that “even distribution of prosperity and risk in our society” would help the nation get back on its feet.

However, Fineman didn’t just talk about politics. He also tackled the effects of mass media in our society today.

“Newspapers are organs of political parties,” Fineman said.

Fineman explained that everyone lives their life immersed in different types of media, and that video media especially is taking over. But as opposed to newspapers, digital life is manipulatable and can show you many different opinions and perspectives, whether you want to hear them or not.

Another student asked Fineman what advice he had for young adults looking to be future media scholars.

“Just jump in,” Fineman responded. “Just get out there and start doing it.”

He then relayed a personal story of starting his career in journalism as a reporter covering local crime by relying on police officers who walked by his desk.

As a Pittsburgh native and the son of two Pitt alumni, Fineman even offered his opinion on the best pizza shop in Squirrel Hill. He said that Mineo’s Pizza House beats out the rest. .

Many of those in attendance expressed positive reactions to Fineman’s lecture.

Erica Stevens, a sophomore materials science and engineering major at Pitt, said she came to see Fineman speak because she wanted to learn more information about the candidates before casting her vote in the presidential election. She said she particularly enjoyed his opinions on the debates between Obama and Romney, and said she would definitely attend one of these events in the future.

Neil Devlin, a senior environmental studies and politics and philosophy major at Pitt, called Fineman’s lecture a tremendous event.

He said he enjoyed the “commentary on the evolution of media, insight on partisanship and the nice refreshments.” He added that he thoroughly enjoyed Fineman’s personal commentary because he was able to relate the speaker’s opinions to his own personal experiences.

Dick Thornburgh, the audience discussion moderator and former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. Attorney General, had plenty of compliments geared toward Fineman, as well. At the conclusion of his lecture, Thornburgh regarded Fineman as a “national treasure.”

“The event was a remarkable opportunity to get some insights from a professional in news media that we are often denied,” Thornburgh said. “Fineman has experience so wide he doesn’t fit into a category.”