Sunday show hosts share industry insights with UMD Terps on covering the Trump administration

On a frigid February night, journalism students, alumni and faculty gathered at the University of Maryland for a panel discussion featuring Sunday morning show hosts. The conversation explored the state of broadcast news, the role of the press and the relevance of Sunday shows covering the Trump administration.

Moderated by Christi Parsons, director of Merrill College’s Capital News Service Annapolis bureau, the panel included CNN’s Dana Bash, FOX News's Shannon Bream and NBC’s Kristen Welker.

NBC’s Meet the Press debuted in 1947, establishing Sunday mornings as a time for Americans to reflect on the week’s biggest stories. Decades later, CNN launched Inside Politics in 1992, followed by FOX News Sunday in 1996.

Sunday shows take “stock of the week that was,” Welker said. “It is our job to really challenge our guests, and that is going to upset some people.” In the face of a polarized media landscape, she emphasized that their role is to hold newsmakers accountable, regardless of party.

“We are not opinion journalists. We’re the Sunday show hosts.”

Navigating a Media Minefield

The job of journalists has grown more difficult in an era of rapid-fire news and an administration openly hostile to the press.

“It is just dizzying,” Bash said. “It’s night and day.” She argued Trump’s strategy is to flood the media with news so no single issue dominates.

Teasing out relevant updates while providing context is a critical responsibility, Welker said. "It's just exhausting. It’s never-ending,” Bream added. Especially with the president labeling the media the "enemy of the people.”

Recently, the White House barred Associated Press journalists from covering presidential events, accusing the outlet of spreading “lies” for refusing to adopt the administration’s new name for the Gulf of Mexico.

“The Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen,” the AP announced.

The AP has set the industry standard governing word choice, grammar, spelling and consistency since 1953. By attempting to dictate AP Style, the White House is forcing a confrontation between the press and the presidency, Bash argued. That, she said, is precisely what Trump wants.

“The concern is that any time a news organization’s ability to have access or to do their job is in any way curtailed, it really runs the risk of harming the amount of information that is getting out to the public,” Welker said.

Earlier this week, 40 outlets signed a White House Correspondents’ Association letter backing the AP. Even Newsmax, a self-described conservative network, joined the letter and released a statement to The New York Times defending AP’s editorial independence.

While the WHCA letter has not been shared publicly, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press released its own letter, signed by more than 30 news media organizations.

“Conditioning pool access to White House events on the editorial decisions of any news organization violates First Amendment principles,” the letter states.

“Journalists need the freedom to do what they do,” Bream said. “I think we’re all very supportive of each other in that respect.”

Offering moderation in a polarized media landscape

Despite the perception that political journalists lean into extremes, the Sunday show hosts argued that they push for high-level, fact-based discussions.

“I don’t view the Sunday show format as, ‘Oh, we have to get the most bombastic person at all,’” Bash said. “What we try to do is get the highest-level person,” closest to the issue dominating the headlines.

Cable news is often characterized as shouting from both sides. But Bash dismissed that as “noise” rather than news.

“We’re looking for interviews that are not just for the moment, but for the history books,” Welker said. “And that’s part of what makes Sunday shows very different than every other format.”

Bream emphasized that journalists’ role is to present facts. Some assume that, because she works at FOX, Trump doesn’t target her. But that’s “not true,” she said. “He will unleash on anyone at any network at any time.”

Welker underscored the importance of tuning out political pressure and staying focused on journalistic principles. “I think the pressure that we feel, quite frankly, is to get it right all of the time.”

The challenge of fact-checking in real-time

Correcting misinformation while maintaining the flow of an interview is a balancing act.

Welker’s team runs mock interviews where colleagues insert falsehoods, forcing her to practice real-time fact-checking. “You can’t let some whopper just fly by,” she said.

“You can derail your own interview by fact-checking,” Bash added. You have to pick and choose your battles.

Bream, a trained lawyer, finds mock interviews useful. “You don’t ask a question you don’t know the answer to,” she said, applying a principle from law school to journalism.

Real-time fact-checking requires careful judgment. “If we nitpicked every single half-truth or something that’s out of context, we would spend the entire interview with most people in Washington doing that,” Bream said. Instead, she prefers to let guests finish their answers and then clarify inaccuracies before moving on.

Women leading Sunday morning news

The panel highlighted strides made by women in journalism, thanks to trailblazers before them.

Bream was the first woman to host FOX News Sunday, though she credited those before her for making it feel natural rather than groundbreaking.

“I’m super grateful for the women who were real pioneers and really had to break glass ceilings so that when the opportunity came along, for me, it wasn’t crazy.”

Bash reflected on her mother’s career. Despite excelling at Northwestern's journalism school, she was limited to secretarial roles in the 1960s. “The reason she was a secretary is because she was a she,” Bash said, recounting how her mother’s duties included fetching coffee, dry cleaning, and ironing her boss’s pants.

“And now look at us … we have come a very long way,” Bash affirmed.

Welker, the first Black journalist to host Meet the Press, sees her role as a responsibility. “I want to be a role model … and want to make sure I’m getting it right.”

She prioritizes bringing diverse voices to broadcasts. One example is her new segment Meet the Moment, which features influential figures outside politics who shape the national conversation. “Making sure that we do have a diversity of voices on the Sunday shows is incredibly important.”

The job that ‘won’t love you back’

Bream’s path to journalism was unconventional. After studying business and practicing law, she pivoted to a broadcasting internship at 29. She worked the overnight shifts, made coffee, and immersed herself in every aspect of the newsroom. When her internship ended, she made a bold decision to leave her law firm. “I got a job that was 2 a.m. to 11 a.m. and I was so happy. I loved it,” Bream recalled.

But her journey wasn’t without its setbacks. After a management change at the station, Bream, who was working multiple jobs with little pay, was called into the HR office. Expecting a promotion, the new manager instead told her, “You are the worst person I have ever seen on TV. You will never make it in this business.”

She locked herself into a soundproof booth, crying and calling “everyone who I thought loved me.” After a moment of despair, she reflected on what she really wanted. It was “a gut check,” she said. “He actually did me a favor.”

Welker shared a similar experience from her early days in Redding, California, where she operated as a one-woman show. “I wrote the entire show. I edited the entire show. I operated the teleprompter with my foot. I even did the weather.”

Yet, after all that work, a news director called to offer blunt advice. “‘Look, I’m going to be really honest with you, you just have no personality.’”

The call left Welker “sobbing” in her little apartment. But she picked herself back up and persevered.

Through these trials, the panelists learned lessons that helped them navigate an unforgiving industry. Bream stressed the importance of building a life outside of work. “The job, as much as you love it, is not going to love you back.”

The panel also shared essential skills for aspiring journalists. “Writing is the root of what we do,” Welker emphasized. Bash added that students should focus on multi-platform skills, from writing to video production. “Knowing how to make it all work together — that’s not just the future, that’s the now.”

Bream emphasized research and adaptability. “You can spend days researching a topic that never makes the Sunday show, and it’s important to remain flexible.”

The panelists also shared their approach to managing the pressures of social media. “It’s a dumpster fire out there,” Bream said. “I don’t look at anything that has to do with me because people are unleashed, and they are very passionate on both sides of nearly every situation and issue.”

Preserving the free press comes at a thankless cost

The experiences and advice shared by Bream, Bash and Welker underscore the perseverance and adaptability required to succeed in journalism. But the industry demands long hours, emotional endurance and a willingness to be publicly scrutinized — all for the privilege of chasing the truth.

The highs can be exhilarating, the lows isolating and the risks daunting. Especially in an era when journalists are dismissed as the “enemy” and access is increasingly restricted. Even the fundamental mission of informing the public is under siege.

For those drawn to the work, the question isn’t just whether they can endure it, but whether they should have to. Democracy, after all, relies upon a free press.