"I have been friends with journalists but they still wrote bad stories about me," she said.

The press is also often not knowledgeable enough to cover the complex issues they write about, Peters said.

"They [journalists] just don't understand the real issues like health care and the executive workings of the White House," he said. "We need to get experts in these fields."

Washington Post staff writer Ann Devroy said she agreed with Peter's criticism.

But a bigger problem with media coverage of Washington is the fault of the White House, not the reporters, she said. Presidents need to be conscious of the media in their actions and statements, she said.

"Bush was the first non-speaking President," Devroy said. "He had no concern about rhetoric or communication."

In the discussion, Gearan defended the Clinton administration against the attacks he has seen in the media.

"Despite the White House's rollercoaster year and the media coverage that existed, one has to stop and look back at all the successes," he said. "The proof is in the pudding."

He referred to economic developments like the North American Free Trade Agreement, health care reforms and successful visits to other countries as evidence of progress made.

But he said that "mistakes were also made along the way. "He said the administration's initial coolness to the national press corps was one such mistake.

The media thought the White House "wanted to go above or around the national press corps," he said, but the administration never intended to send that message.

Gearan ended the discussion with praise for elements of the national media.

"There are many stories journalists who are very reflective about the situation and who are trying hard to improve it," Gearan said. "It is important that the media help explain what is going on our lives."