Stanford University

Carlos Kelly McClatchy Memorial Lectures and Symposia

The Carlos Kelly McClatchy Memorial Lectures and Symposia were established in 1964 to bring Stanford University distinguished national and world leaders in the field of journalism. Its purpose is to give students a first hand insight into the responsibilities of journalism in a democratic society and to stimulate critical thinking about the performance of the mass media in the world today.

Carlos Kelly McClatchy

Carlos Kelly McClatchy

Carlos Kelly McClatchy (1891-1933) was born in Sacramento, CA. The son of the editor of the Sacramento Bee, he began his newspaper career following graduation from Columbia University. During World War I, he served with distinction with a California infantry regiment in France, earning his captaincy via a field promotion “in recognition of his gallantry” during the battle of the Argonne Forest. Following the Armistice, McClatchy returned to Sacramento to cover political campaigns, write editorials, and serve as the paper’s national correspondent in Washington, D.C. In 1922, he founded the Fresno Bee which he edited until his death. In 1923 he became general manager of the McClatchy Newspapers, and a few years later played a central role in the development of the McClatchy radio system. From 1922 until his death, McClatchy continued to build a reputation as an aggressive independent editor, always willing to challenge entrenched viewpoints. At his death, the Fresno Bee wrote that the West had lost “one of the most brilliant, progressive and dynamic of its newspaper personalities.”

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49th Annual McClatchy Symposium

Corruption: Who Plays? Who Pays?

If this is corruption …

“Former Representative William J. Jefferson was convicted Wednesday afternoon of using his office to try to enrich himself and relatives through a web of bribes and payoffs involving business ventures in Africa.”- New York Times

Is this corruption?

“Representatives from Citigroup, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America, have met to discuss ways to urge Democrats, including [Senator Elizabeth] Warren and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, to soften their party’s tone toward Wall Street, sources familiar with the discussions said this week … the idea of withholding donations … has been raised in one-on-one conversations between representatives of some of them”- Reuters

Debates about campaign finance laws increasingly center on the question of how to define corruption and influence in politics. The 49th Annual Carlos Kelly McClatchy Symposium focuses on the definition and measurement of corruption in politics as seen through the lens of three fields: legal scholarship, journalism, and political science.

Panelists include Zephyr Teachout, Associate Professor of Law at Fordham University and author of Corruption in America: From Benjamin Franklin’s Snuff Box to Citizens United; Derek Willis, Correspondent for the The New York Times; and Justin Grimmer, Professor of Political Science at Stanford. The panel is moderated by James Hamilton, Hearst Professor of Communication at Stanford.