Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
The last time Judy Woodruff and Al Hunt spoke to the Vail community, Reagan was president, there were two Germanys and cable news did not exist. Between them, Woodruff and Hunt have more than 80 years of experience in print and broadcast news. During their tenure, the media landscape has shifted in profound ways.
Media serves several functions in society. It informs the public, monitors the government, and offers a forum for important issues. Media can also serve as entertainment. “The medium is the message” is a phrase coined by media theorist Marshall McLuhan in 1964. This was decades before the extraordinary proliferation of media outlets available today. In addition to print, radio, and television, today’s media ecosystem includes 24-hour cable news and the diverse and ubiquitous social media platforms. How have the mediums adapted to survive and in the process impacted the message?
These two award-winning veteran journalists have lived and worked through these changes and will share their experiences with the Vail community. Woodruff and Hunt spoke at the Vail Symposium in the 1980s and we are pleased to have them return for our 50th anniversary season.
The last time Judy Woodruff and Al Hunt spoke to the Vail community, Reagan was president, there were two Germanys and cable news did not exist. Between them, Woodruff and Hunt have more than 80 years of experience in print and broadcast news. During their tenure, the media landscape has shifted in profound ways.
Media serves several functions in society. It informs the public, monitors the government, and offers a forum for important issues. Media can also serve as entertainment. “The medium is the message” is a phrase coined by media theorist Marshall McLuhan in 1964. This was decades before the extraordinary proliferation of media outlets available today. In addition to print, radio, and television, today’s media ecosystem includes 24-hour cable news and the diverse and ubiquitous social media platforms. How have the mediums adapted to survive and in the process impacted the message?
These two award-winning veteran journalists have lived and worked through these changes and will share their experiences with the Vail community. Woodruff and Hunt spoke at the Vail Symposium in the 1980s and we are pleased to have them return for our 50th anniversary season.
