From Soundbites to Solutions:
Bias, Punditry and the Press in the 2008 Election

Unlike any other election cycle, the issues of race, gender, age, and class have dominated public and private conversations around the country over the course of this election.

That's why The Women's Media Center, along with our partners at The White House Project and The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, brought together top national political observers and media professionals for an in-depth conversation about how the media creates and reflects public perceptions of presidential candidates. Speakers included:

Christiane Amanpour • Susan Carroll • Callie Crossley • William Douglas • Juan Gonzalez • Kathleen Hall Jamieson • Celinda Lake • Courtney E. Martin • Pamela Newkirk • Geneva Overholser • Ron Walters • Patricia Williams

Held June 17 in New York, NY, "From Soundbites to Solutions" started a conversation that will continue through this election cycle, as the public, press and candidates grapple with tough issues of bias, identity and language. The Women's Media Center will be doing our part to move the dialogue forward. Over the next few months, we'll continue to roll out new features on this site for addressing these issues.

Click here (pdf) to read more about the conference which was made possible by the generous support of The Sunshine Fund of The Boulder Community Foundation, The Harnisch Foundation, The Ms. Foundation, The Mitchell Kapor Foundation and Alix Ritchie. Thanks to The Paley Center for their assistance with this event.