PBS Books hosted a virtual conversation with renowned author Harold Holzer discussing his latest book The Presidents vs. the Press: The Endless Battle between the White House and the Media from the Founding Fathers to Fake News on November 17.

No matter your political affiliation, you’ll be intrigued to learn that the tension between the president and the press is as old as America’s republic.

In his new book, acclaimed scholar Harold Holzer explores the rise of the American presidency and the media that shaped it. From Washington to Trump, he chronicles the disputes and distrust between these core institutions that define our country, highlighting that the fabric of the nation is in fact built upon their confrontation.

About the Author

Harold Holzer is the recipient of the 2015 Gilder-Lehrman Lincoln Prize. One of the country’s leading authorities on Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of the Civil War era, Holzer was appointed chairman of the US Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission by President Bill Clinton and awarded the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush. He currently serves as the director of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College, City University of New York.