NBC reporter Josh Mankiewicz, right, speaks Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015, at the Dole Institute of Politics.

Bill Graybill came to the Dole Institute of Politics on Tuesday night hoping to learn about the field of presidential candidates for the 2016 election.

In particular, Graybill said, he was hoping to hear about Republican candidates Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina, their chances of being nominated as the party’s candidate and a closer look into their stances on some key issues.

Josh Mankiewicz, an NBC reporter largely known for his work on “Dateline,” spoke at the institute about his experiences with politics, crime, media, businesses and more.

Briefly discussing his childhood and introduction into the world of politics and broadcast journalism, Mankiewicz told the crowd he had covered everything from congressmen to celebrities, national disasters to “a whole lot of murders.”

When asked about the upcoming presidential election, Mankiewicz addressed the popularity of several Republican frontrunners.

“It’s a real indictment of the way our politics have been,” he said. “Whether you agree or not with Mr. Trump, he’s clearly unvarnished and unfiltered and that clearly is working. I think a lot of Trump’s appeal and Carly Fiorina’s appeal and Ben Carson’s appeal is the desire to get somebody from outside of what’s traditionally the places where candidates come from.

“Only in politics does having no experience count for you,” he added with a laugh.

Mankiewicz also discussed the amount of control political candidates exert in their own personal appearance, noting that journalists have a much more difficult time approaching candidates in person and are forced to receive information through press releases and press conferences.

“We (journalists) have been too agreeable to that,” he said. “We should have protested that more.”

In one example, Mankiewicz recalled approaching Bill Clinton in 1992 as he was walking down a street, noting that reporters wouldn’t be able to do the same thing today.

Although Graybill said he wanted to hear a bit more about the current election and the media’s role in politics, he still learned a lot from Mankiewicz.

“It was different than what I expected,” he said. “I thought he’d talk more about current politics, and he didn’t, but that’s OK.”

Martha Lee came to the institute not hoping to hear Mankiewicz speak about anything in particular. After his topics shifted from politics, he began to share his experiences reporting on crime, the legalization of marijuana and the recent and public scandal involving former NBC anchor Brian Williams.

Lee said she appreciated getting a bit more insight into Mankiewicz’s world.

“He had a lot of interesting facts” she said. “I learned a lot about what he was doing with ‘Dateline.’ I enjoyed hearing about all of his experiences and how the media has changed.”