The John Fisher Zeidman Memorial Colloquium on Politics and the Press at Duke University was established by Philip and Nancy Zeidman in memory of their son. John Zeidman, a Duke student, died in 1982 after contracting viral encephalitis while studying in China. The Zeidman Colloquium celebrates John’s passion for examining the interaction of politics and the press.
The Zeidman Colloquium is a panel discussion with media experts, produced biennially shortly after U.S. national elections take place. The Zeidman Colloquium is hosted by the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy, in the Sanford School of Public Policy.
In a 1985 New Yorker article, Calvin Trillin chronicled the Zeidman family experience when their son fell ill. You can read the story here.
UPCOMING ZEIDMAN COLLOQUIUM:
The next Zeidman Colloquium will take place at 1 PM on November 19, 2022, at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Find more information about this event here.
Guest Panelists, 1984-2022
2022
Melissa Harris-Perry, The Takeaway, WNYC
Olivia Nuzzi, New York Magazine
Karen Tumulty, The Washington Post
Frank Bruni, Duke University (moderator)
2018
Frank Bruni: Op-ed columnist, The New York Times
Yamiche Alcindor: White House correspondent, PBS NewsHour; political contributor, NBC News & MSNBC
Katherine Miller: editor, Buzzfeed News
Philip Bennett, Duke University (moderator)
Recording: What Happens Next? The Midterms, the Media & Washington
2016
Evan Osnos, The New Yorker
Karen Tumulty, The Washington Post
Peter Hamby, Snapchat
David Fahrenthold, The Washington Post
Philip Bennett, Duke University (moderator)
2014
Bill Adair, Duke University (moderator)
Molly Ball, The Atlantic
Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight
Brian Stelter, CNN
2012
James T. Hamilton, Duke University (moderator)
John Dickerson, Slate magazine and CBS News
Nia-Malika Henderson, T’91, The Washington Post
Ben Smith, Editor-in-Chief, BuzzFeed.com
2010
Philip Bennett, Duke University (moderator)
John Harris, Politico
Sunshine Hillygus, Duke University
John King, CNN
2008
Garrett Graff, The Washingtonian
Ruth Marcus, The Washington Post
Mark Shields, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, PBS
Jeff Zeleny, The New York Times
2006
Mike Allen, TIME Magazine
Mark Halperin, ABC News
Bill Schneider, CNN
2004
David Broder, The Washington Post
David Brooks, The New York Times
Margaret Warner, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
2001-2002
Aaron Brown, CNN
Ronald Brownstein, Los Angeles Times
John Harwood, The Wall Street Journal
2000-2001
Richard Berke, The New York Times
David Gergen, Harvard University, KSG
Chuck Roberts, CNN Headline News
Jim Yardley, The New York Times
1999-2000
Andrew Glass, Cox Newspapers
Gwen Ifill, PBS
William Raspberry, The Washington Post
1998-1999
Martin Tolchin, The Hill
Linda Wertheimer, National Public Radio
Susan Tifft, Duke University, Author, The Trust
1996-1997
Al Hunt, The Wall Street Journal
Alex Jones, Shorenstein Center, Harvard University
Susan Tifft, Duke University
Judy Woodruff, CNN
1995-1996
Robert Kaiser, The Washington Post
Geneva Overholser, The Washington Post
Barbara Cochran, CBS News
1994-1995
Hodding Carter III, Independent Producer
Catherine Crier, CNN
David Gergen, Former White House Advisor
1993-1994
David Broder, The Washington Post
Paul Duke, Washington Week in Review
1992-1993
R.W. Apple, Jr., The New York Times
Robert Entman, Northwestern University
Charlie Rose, The Charlie Rose Show
1991-1992
Tom Brokaw, NBC News
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Univ of Pennsylvania
Ted Koppel, ABC Nightline
Larry Sabato, University of Virginia
1990-1991
Marek Lasota, Polish Radio
Andreas Lehmann, Sonntag, Berlin
David Paletz, Duke University
Lukasz Plesnar, Czas Krakowski, Poland
1989-1990
Richard Duncan, TIME Magazine
Bill Kovach, Nieman Foundation, Harvard
Ed Turner, CNN
1988-1989
Saul Friedman, Newsday
Walter Pincus, The Washington Post
1987-1988
Nicholas Daniloff, US News & World Report
Barbara Matusow, The Washingtonian
Jack Nelson, The Los Angeles Times
1985-1986
Floyd Abrams, Attorney
Harold Evans, US News & World Report
John Walsh, Attorney
William Van Alstyne, Duke University
1984-1985
Ken Eudy, The Charlotte Observer
Robert Kaiser, The Washington Post
James Lehrer, MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour
Hedrick Smith, The New York Times
Sander Vanocur, ABC News
