Nedra Pickler

Nedra Pickler (born 1975)^[1] is an American national political journalist employed by the Associated Press (AP) since 2000. She covered the United States presidential elections in 2004 and 2008. An award winner during the phase of her career in which she reported on the State of Michigan's delegation to the United States Congress, she has been repeatedly accused of unfair reporting on the Democratic Party candidates in U.S. presidential elections.

Background

Pickler was born in Flint, Michigan to Donald and Marcy Picler.^[1] She grew up in Rector, Arkansas, and later back in Burton, Michigan, where she attended Bentley High School.^[2] In 1998, she graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism.^[3] Pickler married Eric Conner, an employee of Fox News, in 2007.^[1]

Career

Pickler was hired by the Detroit offices of Associated Press shortly after graduating from Michigan State University.^[1] In March 2000, she transferred from the Lansing bureau to the Washington, D.C. bureau where she won the annual John L. Dougherty award for her work covering Michigan's congressional delegation.^[4]

AP promoted Pickler to cover national political issues in December 2002. She was the lead reporter covering the Democratic Party candidates in the 2004 United States Presidential Election. After that election, Pickler worked as a White House correspondent until September 2006, leaving to cover national politics, including the 2008 United States Presidential Election. President Bush bid her farewell personally, saying: "Nedra, baby, I’m gonna miss you. I’m sad you’re leaving."^[5]

In 2007 the AP sent Pickler to Indonesia to investigate Senator Barack Obama's childhood education. She interviewed some of Obama's childhood friends and teachers and reported that, contrary to some rumors then in circulation, he had been educated in Roman Catholic and public schools.^[6]

On November 7, 2008, Pickler was the first reporter chosen by Obama to ask a question at his first press conference as President-Elect.

Accusations of poor reporting

Pickler's reporting on both presidential elections has repeatedly engendered controversy, including factual objections raised by other national political journalists.

In her coverage of the 2004 presidential race, Pickler acknowledged having misquoted Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean.^[7] In June 2004, an article by Pickler on higher education costs was criticized by the Columbia Journalism Review for accepting Bush advisor Steve Schmidt's criticism of John Kerry as fact without evaluating the accuracy of Schmidt's claim, which CJR found to be misleading.^[8]

On 27 March 2007, Pickler wrote that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (who had declared his candidacy 10 February) had "delivered no policy speeches and provided few details about how he would lead the country" in his campaign up to that point.^[9] On July 8, 2008, Pickler wrote an analysis saying that the presumptive presidential nominees, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, had opposite stances on the policy goal of balancing the federal budget by the end of the next presidential term (January 2013).^[10] Pickler was criticized for the article in the Columbia Journalism Review.^[11]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Nedra Pickler, Eric Conner". The New York Times. November 25, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/fashion/weddings/25pickler.html. Retrieved May 17, 2011. 
2. ^ Foren, John (June 21, 2008). "Flint -area mom of presidential campaign reporter is plenty proud, says Flint Journal columnist John Foren". Flint Journal. http://www.mlive.com/opinion/flint/index.ssf/2008/06/flint_area_mom_of_presidential.html. 
3. ^ Bao, Robert (Spring 2007). "Nedra Pickler: Road to the White House". MSU Alumni Magazine. Michigan State University Alumni Association. http://www.alumni.msu.edu/magazine/archive/viewarticle.cfm?articleid=1201. Retrieved May 17, 2011. 
4. ^ Bucknell University. 2007 (October). Bucknell Forum. capsule biographies of panelists for session of 18 Oct. 2007
5. ^ Austin American-Statesman. 25 September 2006. [1] A blog by Ken Herman
6. ^ Pickler, Nedra (2007-01-24). "Obama challenges allegation about Islamic school". San Diego Union-Tribune. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20070124-1317-obama-2008.html. Retrieved 2008-02-10. 
7. ^ Welch, Matt. April 2004. Hack Roast. Reason
8. ^ Roth, Zachary. 29 Jun 2004 The Mis-Education of Nedra Pickler Columbia Journalism Review
9. ^ Pickler, Nedra (for Associated Press). 27 March 2007. Is Obama All Style and Little Substance?
10. ^ Pickler, Nedra (for Associated Press). 8 July 2008. Analysis: Obama won't try for McCain's budget goal.
11. ^ Barrett, Liz Cox. 9 July 2008. AP on McCain on Budget Deficit: Points For Trying? Columbia Journalism Review

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Name	Pickler
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Date of birth	1975
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