Stephen Labaton (LA '83) has been covering stories on and around one Hill or another for years now. Beginning as an Observer editor in the early '80s, Labaton now holds a coveted position in the Washington DC Bureau of The New York Times.
During his tenure at the Times, which began in 1986, Labaton has written a number of big stories on issues concerning the likes of Hillary Clinton and Bill Gates. He reported on campaign finance issues during the 1992 and 1996 elections, delving specifically into the Whitewater scandal that wracked the Clinton administration.
"I spent six weeks in Arkansas tracking down the commodity issue with Hillary Clinton. I never thought my career at Tufts would take me to knocking on doors of pig farms in Northwest Arkansas," he said of his work in uncovering the financial dealings of the first family.
The Microsoft anti-trust case also fell under Labaton's auspices because of its subject matter. A graduate of Duke Law School, Labaton is typically called upon to write about more legally minded issues. "I tend to write about issues that involve the intersection of politics, policy, and often finance. They sometimes involve anti-trust [and] securities," he said.
On the political front, Labaton has walked through the halls of Congress and down the road to the White House to cover major events and candidates. As a passenger aboard Senator John McCain's Straight-Talk Express, during McCain's stint as a presidential candidate, Labaton recounted his experience as both good and bad. "It was fascinating being on the [campaign] trail with somebody so accessible," he said, on a more positive note.
McCain's marriage with the media provided a strategic advantage for the candidate, according to Labaton. "I think McCain clearly calculated that being more accessible would get him better coverage. He was coming with far less money, and it did succeed in energizing his campaign."
Labaton added, however, that being on the road with candidates takes a toll on reporters. "I think that for reporters on the campaign trail, it's often frustrating," he said of the somewhat inhibiting experience. "You're wedded to one candidate and wedded to very difficult conditions. You have a lot of constraints."
Despite the trying circumstances reporters endure and their frequent tie to one candidate, Labaton says that reporting objectively is not a problem. "When I write about issues, [I] make sure to cover all sides. It's fairly difficult to determine the personal views of reporters," he said. "A lot of reporters bend over backwards to be critical."
Labaton has found himself doing just that during the current election cycle. "I think a lot of the coverage has been equally as skeptical of Gov. Bush as it has been for Vice President Gore."
All skepticism aside, Labaton thinks that this election is one of the more thrilling ones. "I think this a tremendously exciting race," he said, referring to its uncertain outcome. "Right now nobody can say... what will happen on Nov. 7."
The election, according to Labaton, is constantly changing. "The race seems to swing back and forth on seemingly arbitrary events," he said.
He makes note of undecided voters, a population that both candidates are targeting in these final days. "I think while [Bush's and Gore's] campaigns have tried to appeal to the center, there are discrepancies," he said.
Labaton also thinks that the candidates have skirted some issues. "There are issues that are not being talked about the campaign trail," he said, referring to paucity of discussion about courts under the Supreme Court. "Here and there there will be a platitude or a phrase, but [this] is really not being discussed."
He questions what will be different in the new administration. "The most profound changes you're going to see from Vice President Gore or Gov. Bush are not going to be in the Supreme Court, but in the lower courts," he said.
Labaton's critiques of Bush and Gore are rooted in his legal expertise, as is his role at the Times. In fact, he sees his law school training as a basis for his success. "The best newspapers prefer people that have done other things," he said, noting that Times journalists have backgrounds in everything from defense to medicine.
In light of this, Labaton - himself a political science and philosophy major - urges aspiring journalists to pursue paths besides media and communications, explaining that journalism is a 'learn as you go' type of profession. "Journalism is something you can acquire skills for outside of college," he said.
He offers a suggestion to students interested in either law or journalism. "One of the most important things is being able to write well and quickly," he said.
Labaton is slated to speak on Nov. 16 at 2:30 p.m. His talk is entitled, "Election 2000: A View from The New York Times."
