Tucker Carlson, 'one of the world's great contrarians,' to deliver Hussman School's 2018 Park Lecture
Tucker Carlson — veteran political commentator with stints at CNN, PBS, MSNBC and FOX News — will give the 2018 Roy H. Park Distinguished Lecture on Thursday, April 12, for the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. The public event will be held at Memorial Hall and begins at 11 a.m. with remarks by Carlson, followed by a moderated conversation with Associate Professor Daniel Kreiss and Hussman School students Jordan Fieulleteau '16, '18 (M.A.), Kelsey Mason '18 and Haley McDougal '18.
The event is free, but registration is required.
Carlson, currently the host of "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on FOX News, will share his insights on today's political landscape, including candid commentary on the latest insider political news out of Washington, D.C.
Carlson's 2003 feature "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" for Esquire magazine was a finalist for a National Magazine Award. He was a columnist for New York and Reader's Digest magazines, and has written for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He got his start at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper and The Weekly Standard magazine.
Carlson burst on the broadcast scene with a reputation as conservatism's bright young wit in 2000 as co-host of "The Spin Room" on CNN. In 2001, he was appointed co-host of "Crossfire." He continued at "Crossfire" while hosting a weekly public affairs program on PBS in 2004-05. Carlson also appeared on the third season of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" in 2006, where he competed against former NFL running back Emmitt Smith, among others. He hosted several nightly programs on MSNBC before joining FOX News in 2009.
Democratic commentator and longtime friend James Carville told The New Yorker in April 2017 that he considers Carlson "one of the world's great contrarians." Carville added "To be a contrarian, you've got to be a contrarian against your own people."
Carlson's current program is frequently at the forefront of the cable news ratings, particularly since moving to the 8 p.m. EST time slot in April 2017. In January 2018, NewsPro magazine named Carlson on their annual list of 12 to watch in TV news. He founded The Daily Caller news site with a former college roommate in 2010. The site currently draws more than 9 million unique global visitors a month. Carlson recently signed a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster.
Associate Professor Daniel Kreiss joined the Hussman School in 2011 to teach research methods and political communication. His research explores the impact of technology on politics and the public. Oxford University Press recently published his second book, "Prototype Politics," an exploration of the central role of technology, digital media, data and analytics in electoral campaigning that explains the differences in how the two U.S. political parties harness technology.
Hussman School senior Haley McDougal, a communications intern with UNC Global Relations, will graduate this spring with double majors in public relations and political science. Senior Kelsey Mason is studying public relations and Spanish at Carolina. Mason worked in the offices of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr two summers ago and has been a staffer at The Daily Tar Heel. Roy H. Park Fellow Jordan Fieulleteau is a strategic communication student in the master's program. A former student-athlete who received his undergraduate degree in public relations from the Hussman School, Fieulleteau was one of 16 media and communications graduate students nationwide to be selected for a European Union press visit to Brussels in 2017.
The annual Roy H. Park Distinguished Lecture, sponsored by the Triad Foundation, brings leading professionals to campus to enrich the educational experience of undergraduate and graduate journalism students. The lecture series enhances the Roy H. Park Fellowship Program, which celebrated its 20th year at the Hussman School in 2017. The generous fellowships go to new doctoral and master's students in the school each year.
Learn more about the 2018 Park Lecture and register at mj.unc.edu/ParkLecture2018.