About
"In journalism school, I realized that a woman journalist should be willing to be treated exactly as a male journalist. Along the line, I decided that I really didn't want to stand out and push and shove in my trench coat in the rain and snow with the men. After I started working in television, I decided that instead of reporting, I really wanted to be a producer because that's where, behind the scenes, you got the whole picture. That was always what interested me."
In her four-and-a-half-hour interview, Betty Cole Dukert (1927-2024) speaks of her early interest in journalism and her brief production experience in local radio and television. She recalls her five-decade tenure at Meet the Press, where she rose through the ranks, ultimately serving as executive producer. Dukert offers a history of the show from its earliest years and discusses her experience behind the scenes. She chronicles her overseas trips, guests who appeared on the show, and the relationship between the series and the world's political leaders (including Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Yasser Arafat). Dukert also describes the methods of several of the moderators who served on the show including: Ned Brooks, Lawrence Spivak, Bill Monroe, Marvin Kalb, Roger Mudd, Chris Wallace, Garrick Utley, and Tim Russert. Finally, she speaks of her retirement and the legacy of Meet the Press, and offers advice to aspiring news producers. Karen Herman conducted the interview on October 14, 2003 in Bethesda, MD.
Highlights
Betty Cole Dukert on Tim Russert's contributions to Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on John F. Kennedy's appearances on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on the scripted introductions on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Eleanor Roosevelt appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on advice to aspiring news producers
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her early life and influences
On coming to work for NBC; on working for lobbyists on behalf of RCA and NBC
Chapter 2
On coming to work for NBC News; on the first color broadcast of Meet the Press; on joining Meet the Press as a producer
On working for Meet the Press moderator Lawrence E. Spivak; on how Meet the Press dealt with McCarthyism and partisan politics; on the early format of the show
Chapter 3
On the Meet the Press introductions; on preparing a reporter to appear on Meet the Press; on inviting reporters to appear on Meet the Press
On setting ground rules for the reporters on Meet the Press; on reporters or guests who were unsuccessful on air on Meet the Press
Chapter 4
On booking guests for Meet the Press; on early satellite link-ups for Meet the Press
On Meet the Press covering the 1960 Democratic Primary in Los Angeles; on Meet the Press' time slot changes
Chapter 5
On how different NBC Presidents dealt with Meet the Press; on Fidel Castro appearing on Meet the Press; on dealing with Meet the Press in extreme weather
On Anastas Mikoyan appearing on Meet the Press; on how Meet the Press dealt with the Cold War
Chapter 6
On Edward R. Murrow appearing on Meet the Press; on John F. Kennedy and Meet the Press
On various Presidents appearing on Meet the Press; on Martin Luther King, Jr. appearing on Meet the Press
Chapter 7
On Eleanor Roosevelt appearing on Meet the Press; on dealing with world famous Meet the Press guests; on the Golda Meir and Anwar Sadat appearing on the program
On Meet the Press interviews and Presidential elections; on Yasser Arafat appearing on Meet the Press
Chapter 8
On Meet the Press covering Vietnam; on being a female producer of Meet the Press and the male to female ratio of guests on the show
On Bob Dole on Meet the Press; on her favorite and least favorite guests on Meet the Press; on Tim Russert taking over the show
Chapter 9
On Tim Russert's contributions to Meet the Press; on the various journalists who appeared on the panel of Meet the Press; on retiring from the show
On the then-future of Meet the Press and its archives; on advice to aspiring news producers; on the then-state of politics and her hopes for the future
Shows
Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Edward R. Murrow's guest appearance on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on John F. Kennedy's appearances on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on the assassination of John F. Kennedy
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Martin Luther King, Jr. on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on how she came to join Meet the Press as a producer
Betty Cole Dukert on working for Meet the Press moderator Lawrence E. Spivak
Betty Cole Dukert on how Meet the Press dealt with McCarthyism and partisan politics
Betty Cole Dukert on the early format of Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on the scripted introductions on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on hard to anticipate questions from female journalists and balancing the panel of reporters on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on preparing a reporter to appear on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on inviting reporters to appear on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on setting ground rules for the reporters on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on reporters and guests who were unsuccessful on air on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on how guests were booked on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on utilizing early satellite link-ups for Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press in Los Angeles for the 1960 Democratic Primary
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press' time slot change
Betty Cole Dukert on the changing network presidents and Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Fidel Castro appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on difficulties with weather on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Anastas Mikoyan appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press' coverage of The Cold War
Betty Cole Dukert on Eleanor Roosevelt appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on dealing with world famous Meet the Press guests
Betty Cole Dukert on Golda Meir and Anwar Sadat appearing on Meet the Press and doing Meet the Press from Israel
Betty Cole Dukert on historically relevant Meet the Press interviews
Betty Cole Dukert on Yasser Arafat appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on covering the Vietnam War on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on being a female producer and the male to female ratio of guests on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Bob Dole appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on some of her least favorite Meet the Press guests
Betty Cole Dukert on Tim Russert taking over Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Tim Russert's contributions to Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on the various journalists on the panel of Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on retiring from Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on the then-future of Meet the Press and the Meet the Press archives
Betty Cole Dukert on the legacy of Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on her life since retirement
Betty Cole Dukert on advice to aspiring news producers
Betty Cole Dukert on the then-state of politics and her hopes for the future
Topics
Advice
Betty Cole Dukert on advice to aspiring news producers
Bill Clinton
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Bill Clinton
Civil Rights Movement
Betty Cole Dukert on Martin Luther King, Jr. on Meet the Press
Cold War
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press' coverage of The Cold War
Betty Cole Dukert on Fidel Castro appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Anastas Mikoyan appearing on Meet the Press
First Big Break
Betty Cole Dukert on how she came to join Meet the Press as a producer
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Betty Cole Dukert on Eleanor Roosevelt appearing on Meet the Press
Gerald Ford
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Gerald Ford
Historic Events and Social Change
Betty Cole Dukert on the assassination of John F. Kennedy
Betty Cole Dukert on Martin Luther King, Jr. on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on hard to anticipate questions from female journalists and balancing the panel of reporters on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press' coverage of The Cold War
Betty Cole Dukert on Fidel Castro appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Anastas Mikoyan appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Golda Meir and Anwar Sadat appearing on Meet the Press and doing Meet the Press from Israel
Betty Cole Dukert on Yassir Arafat appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on covering the Vietnam War on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on being a female producer and the male to female ratio of guests on Meet the Press
Hollywood Blacklist
Betty Cole Dukert on how Meet the Press dealt with McCarthyism and partisan politics
Industry Crossroads
Betty Cole Dukert on how Meet the Press dealt with McCarthyism and partisan politics
JFK Assassination and Funeral
Betty Cole Dukert on the assassination of John F. Kennedy
Jimmy Carter
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Jimmy Carter
John F. Kennedy
Betty Cole Dukert on John F. Kennedy's appearances on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press in Los Angeles for the 1960 Democratic Primary
Lyndon B. Johnson
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Lyndon B. Johnson
Pivotal Career Moments
Betty Cole Dukert on how she came to join Meet the Press as a producer
Representation on Television
Betty Cole Dukert on hard to anticipate questions from female journalists and balancing the panel of reporters on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on being a female producer and the male to female ratio of guests on Meet the Press
Richard M. Nixon
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Richard M. Nixon
Technological Innovation
Betty Cole Dukert on the first color broadcast of Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on utilizing early satellite link-ups for Meet the Press
Television and the Presidency
Betty Cole Dukert on John F. Kennedy's appearances on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press in Los Angeles for the 1960 Democratic Primary
Betty Cole Dukert on Eleanor Roosevelt appearing on Meet the Press
Television Industry
Betty Cole Dukert on how Meet the Press dealt with McCarthyism and partisan politics
Betty Cole Dukert on advice to aspiring news producers
Vietnam War
Betty Cole Dukert on covering the Vietnam War on Meet the Press
War
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press' coverage of The Cold War
Betty Cole Dukert on Fidel Castro appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Anastas Mikoyan appearing on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on covering the Vietnam War on Meet the Press
Women
Betty Cole Dukert on hard to anticipate questions from female journalists and balancing the panel of reporters on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on being a female producer and the male to female ratio of guests on Meet the Press
Professions
Journalists & News Producers
Betty Cole Dukert on setting ground rules for the reporters on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on advice to aspiring news producers
News Producer
Betty Cole Dukert on setting ground rules for the reporters on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on advice to aspiring news producers
Genres
News and Documentary
Betty Cole Dukert on producing Meet the Press (Part 5)
Betty Cole Dukert on producing Meet the Press (Part 1)
Betty Cole Dukert on producing Meet the Press (Part 2)
Betty Cole Dukert on producing Meet the Press (Part 3)
Betty Cole Dukert on producing Meet the Press (Part 4)
Betty Cole Dukert on producing Meet the Press (Part 6)
Betty Cole Dukert on producing Meet the Press (Part 7)
Betty Cole Dukert on producing Meet the Press (Part 8)
People
Yasser Arafat
Betty Cole Dukert on Yassir Arafat appearing on Meet the Press
Jimmy Carter
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Jimmy Carter
Fidel Castro
Betty Cole Dukert on Fidel Castro appearing on Meet the Press
Bill Clinton
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Bill Clinton
Bob Dole
Betty Cole Dukert on Bob Dole appearing on Meet the Press
Gerald Ford
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Gerald Ford
Lawrence K. Grossman
Betty Cole Dukert on the changing network presidents' effects on Meet the Press
Lyndon B. Johnson
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Lyndon B. Johnson
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press in Los Angeles for the 1960 Democratic Primary
John F. Kennedy
Betty Cole Dukert on John F. Kennedy's appearances on Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on the assassination of John F. Kennedy
Betty Cole Dukert on Meet the Press in Los Angeles for the 1960 Democratic Primary
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Betty Cole Dukert on Martin Luther King, Jr. on Meet the Press
Golda Meir
Betty Cole Dukert on Golda Meir and Anwar Sadat appearing on Meet the Press and doing Meet the Press from Israel
Edward R. Murrow
Betty Cole Dukert on Edward R. Murrow's guest appearance on Meet the Press
Richard M. Nixon
Betty Cole Dukert on various Presidents and Meet the Press: Richard M. Nixon
Eleanor Roosevelt
Betty Cole Dukert on Eleanor Roosevelt appearing on Meet the Press
Tim Russert
Betty Cole Dukert on Tim Russert taking over Meet the Press
Betty Cole Dukert on Tim Russert's contributions to Meet the Press
Anwar Sadat
Betty Cole Dukert on Golda Meir and Anwar Sadat appearing on Meet the Press and doing Meet the Press from Israel
Lawrence E. Spivak
Betty Cole Dukert on how she came to join Meet the Press as a producer
Betty Cole Dukert on working for Meet the Press moderator Lawrence E. Spivak
Betty Cole Dukert on how Meet the Press dealt with McCarthyism and partisan politics
Betty Cole Dukert on the scripted introductions on Meet the Press