Cokie Roberts

Journalist
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In her one-hour interview, Cokie Roberts (1943-2019) discusses her early years as the daughter of Congressman Hale Boggs, and how the assassination of President John F. Kennedy shaped her politically. She discusses breaking into broadcasting, and the challenges a woman faced in doing so at the time. She recalls going to work for The MacNeil/Lehrer Report and NPR, and later being hired by ABC News. Roberts talks about being a panelist on This Week with David Brinkley, and taking over the show along with Sam Donaldson, when Brinkley retired in 1996. She recounts covering over a dozen presidential conventions, and talks about the then-current administration and the unique challenges of the journalists covering it. Jenni Matz conducted the interview on October 2, 2018 in Bethesda, MD.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"The way you respond to being called the enemy of the people is to continue to do your job and hope that the people understand you’re not the enemy. And according to polling, that is the case."

People Talking About ...
Cokie Roberts
Highlights
Cokie Roberts on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
02:15
Cokie Roberts on appearing on the PBS series The Lawmakers and being a contributor to The MacNeil/Lehrer Report
04:24
Cokie Roberts on what she learned from David Brinkley during her time on This Week with David Brinkley
07:03
Cokie Roberts on how the emergence of new media has impacted television news, and on covering Donald J. Trump's tweets and lies
06:44
Cokie Roberts on the most important responsibility of a journalist, and on remaining objective
03:30
Cokie Roberts on looking at the then-current state of the country from a historical perspective
02:24
Full Interview

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Chapter 1
On her early life and influences; on her education; on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
On her decision to become a journalist, and on early local shows she worked on; on her move to New York, and on facing discrimination as a female looking to be a broadcaster; on concerns about her impartiality as a journalist with family members in Congress
On how her family background in politics helped her when she began covering Congress, and how coverage of Congress has changed; on appearing on the PBS series The Lawmakers and being a contributor to The McNeil/Lehrer Report; on what she learned from David Brinkley during her time on This Week with David Brinkley
On the presidential conventions she has witnessed and covered, and on the role television has played in American politics; on criticism she faced speaking out against Donald J. Trump during the 2016 primaries; on how the emergence of new media has impacted television news, and on covering Donald J. Trump's tweets and lies
On looking at the then-current state of the country from a historical perspective; on her reporting style; on the most important responsibility of a journalist, and on remaining objective
On how opportunities for females have changed in the television news industry since she started; on how the state of journalism has changed since she started; on how technological advances have changed the television news industry
On the value of oral histories; on the medium she prefers to work in, and on political satire
On advice to aspiring television journalists; on her proudest career achievements, and on how she would like to be remembered
Shows

PBS NewsHour

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Cokie Roberts on appearing on the PBS series The Lawmakers and being a contributor to The MacNeil/Lehrer Report
04:23

This Week with David Brinkley

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Cokie Roberts on appearing on This Week with David Brinkley, and on going to work for ABC News, and on how she approached stories differently at different outlets
04:15
Cokie Roberts on what she learned from David Brinkley during her time on This Week with David Brinkley, and on the challenges of becoming anchor of This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
02:46

This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts

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Cokie Roberts on what she learned from David Brinkley during her time on This Week with David Brinkley, and on the challenges of becoming anchor of This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
02:46
Topics

Donald J. Trump

View Topic
Cokie Roberts on criticism she faced speaking out against Donald J. Trump during the 2016 presidential primaries
02:17
Cokie Roberts on the biggest challenges of covering the presidency of Donald J. Trump
01:28
Cokie Roberts on how the emergence of new media has impacted television news, and on covering Donald J. Trump's tweets and lies
06:44

Historic Events and Social Change

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Cokie Roberts on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
02:14
Cokie Roberts on her move to New York, on facing discrimination as a female looking to be a broadcaster, and on becoming a foreign correspondent in Greece
05:04
Cokie Roberts on how opportunities for females have changed in the television news industry since she started
04:54

JFK Assassination and Funeral

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Cokie Roberts on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
02:14

New Media

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Cokie Roberts on how the emergence of new media has impacted television news, and on Donald J. Trump's tweets
06:44

Representation on Television

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Cokie Roberts on her move to New York, on facing discrimination as a female looking to be a broadcaster, and on becoming a foreign correspondent in Greece
05:04
Cokie Roberts on how opportunities for females have changed in the television news industry since she started
04:54

Technological Innovation

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Cokie Roberts on how technological advances have changed the television news industry, and on challenges it presents
02:45

Television Industry

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Cokie Roberts on how the emergence of new media has impacted television news, and on Donald J. Trump's tweets
06:44
Cokie Roberts on the then current biggest challenge facing the news media
01:18

Television and the Presidency

View Topic
Cokie Roberts on the presidential conventions she has witnessed and covered, and on the role television has played in American politics
05:22
Cokie Roberts on criticism she faced speaking out against Donald J. Trump during the 2016 presidential primaries
02:17
Cokie Roberts on the biggest challenges of covering the presidency of Donald J. Trump
01:28
Cokie Roberts on how the emergence of new media has impacted television news, and on covering Donald J. Trump's tweets and lies
06:44

Women

View Topic
Cokie Roberts on her move to New York, on facing discrimination as a female looking to be a broadcaster, and on becoming a foreign correspondent in Greece
05:04
Cokie Roberts on how opportunities for females have changed in the television news industry since she started
04:54
Professions

Correspondent

View Profession
Cokie Roberts on her decision to become a journalist, and on early local shows she worked on
03:07
Cokie Roberts on concerns about her impartiality as a journalist with family members in Congress
02:32
Cokie Roberts on how her family background in politics helped her when she began covering Congress, and how coverage of Congress has changed
02:27
Cokie Roberts on the most important responsibility of a journalist, and on remaining objective
03:30
Cokie Roberts on how the state of journalism has changed since she started
01:32
Cokie Roberts on the medium she prefers to work in, and on political satire
01:39
Cokie Roberts on advice to aspiring television journalists
01:02

Journalists & News Producers

View Profession
Cokie Roberts on her decision to become a journalist, and on early local shows she worked on
03:07
Cokie Roberts on concerns about her impartiality as a journalist with family members in Congress
02:32
Cokie Roberts on how her family background in politics helped her when she began covering Congress, and how coverage of Congress has changed
02:27
Cokie Roberts on her reporting style
01:36
Cokie Roberts on the most important responsibility of a journalist, and on remaining objective
03:30
Cokie Roberts on how the state of journalism has changed since she started
01:32
Cokie Roberts on the medium she prefers to work in, and on political satire
01:39
Cokie Roberts on advice to aspiring television journalists
01:02

Moderator

View Profession
Cokie Roberts on her reporting style
01:36
Genres

News and Documentary

View Genre
Cokie Roberts on appearing on the PBS series The Lawmakers and being a contributor to The MacNeil/Lehrer Report
04:23
Cokie Roberts on what she learned from David Brinkley during her time on This Week with David Brinkley, and on the challenges of becoming anchor of This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
02:46
People

David Brinkley

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Cokie Roberts on appearing on This Week with David Brinkley, and on working with Sam Donaldson
07:03

Donald J. Trump

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Cokie Roberts on how the emergence of new media has impacted television news, and on covering Donald J. Trump's tweets and lies
06:44

Jim Lehrer

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Cokie Roberts on appearing on the PBS series The Lawmakers and being a contributor to The MacNeil/Lehrer Report
04:23

John F. Kennedy

View Person Page
Cokie Roberts on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
02:15

Robert MacNeil

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Cokie Roberts on appearing on the PBS series The Lawmakers and being a contributor to The MacNeil/Lehrer Report
04:23

Sam Donaldson

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Cokie Roberts on appearing on This Week with David Brinkley, and on working with Sam Donaldson
07:03

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