Deborah Mathis is a nationally syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services. She was previously the national correspondent for Gannett News Service. A veteran political reporter, she was responsible for reporting on all national news stories dealing with the White House and the administration. Previously, a columnist for The Clarion-Ledger, Mathis wrote a twice-weekly column on subjects ranging from national politics to racial injustice to the perils and payoffs of motherhood. Mathis began her career as a general assignment reporter for the Arkansas-Democrat. She worked in various positions including on-air reporter and anchor for KTHV-TV and KATV-TV in Little Rock, Arkansas, and WTTG-TV in Washington, D.C. Between 1976 and 1981, she worked for KARK-TV, Little Rock, moving from reporter to assistant news director. In 1988, Mathis joined the Arkansas Gazette as an editorial columnist and staff writer, and in 1990 became associate editor. She is a regular commentator for “America’s Black Forum,” a weekly talk show that deals with issues of importance to African Americans. Her research project is “Media and Race: A Case Study.”
No Seat at the Table: The Black-White Appearance Gap in the Election 2000 Story
January 1, 2001
A paper by Deborah Mathis, fall 2000-spring 2001 fellow, examines racial diversity in the media coverage after the Bush-Gore election in 2000. Between November 7, when voters reported to the polls, and December 13, when Gore finally conceded to Bush, television talk shows booked hundreds of guests. Some commentators participated in several shows a day,
