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LBJ Auditorium was packed Wednesday night to hear New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd speak about journalism in a democratic society. People standing and sitting in the back were asked to leave several times due to fire codes. The event started late as organizers worked to accommodate the overflow of people.

At about 6:30, the audience started clapping, trying to get the speech started. At 6:50, Dowd finally took the stage. She dawned her "Tina Fey" glasses to start.

Some notable quotes:
"If it weren't for print journalism, what would bloggers have to blog about. I say the more the merrier."

"I'm an optimist about the future of journalism. It's not the form; it's the function. It's the message."

She talked a bit about the Bush administration's attempts to kill any form of checks and balances before accepting the first Mary Alice Davis Distinguished Lecture in Journalism award.

The Q&A followed.

"I tend not to read blogs because they offer so much competition. ... Now everyone in the country has an opinion, and I'm afraid they'll have my opinion before it gets published."

"I can't even reach Joe Six-Pack in my own family."