About
"There are certain stories that will never, ever leave me because of the pain, the sorrow, and the blood. All the blood. But that’s part of what you do. You’re telling people what’s happening around the world, and hopefully the people you’re telling about this will be moved by it and will do something about it, whatever that might be, whether it’s to tell their congressperson or write a letter to the editor or to the news station ... But to do something about it, to make a change so that maybe less of this will happen. Because it will happen again."
In his four-hour interview, Jim Giggans talks about growing up in Bremerton, WA and his early interest in world events and cultures, which led to him studying international politics at the University of Washington, followed by a graduate degree at the Sorbonne in Paris. He describes moving to New York City and how he came to be hired at ABC News after meeting then-news president Elmer Lower. He then goes into detail on his years as a foreign correspondent covering the war in Vietnam, including the dangers he faced during his years there and the logistics of reporting from a war zone at that time including riding on helicopters, sending film out of the country to be processed and broadcast, and working with translators. He touches on other conflict zones from which he reported, including Cypress, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East. Giggans shares how he came to report on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales both from Paris and London and how he made the move from international reporting to working in local news in Los Angeles. For his time in Los Angeles, he talks about covering major stories including the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the O. J. Simpson trial, and the Rodney King case, as well as his time anchoring Today in LA. He touches on his years teaching broadcast journalism, discusses the role that journalism plays in society, and contemplates the potential future of journalism in the light of media consolidation and AI. Finally, he tells the story of his experience losing his house during the 2025 Palisades fire in Los Angeles and shares his career highlights and advice for aspiring journalists. Leah Aldridge conducted the interview on August 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights
Jim Giggans on the danger he faced as a foreign correspondent reporting from Saigon during the Vietnam War, and on his first near-death experience while reporting on the war
Jim Giggans on reporting on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales from Paris and London
Jim Giggans on covering the O. J. Simpson trial as a reporter for NBC Los Angeles
Jim Giggans on reporting in Cambodia during the Vietnam War, and on a life-threatening situation he faced there
Jim Giggans on keeping his personal opinions out of his reporting
Jim Giggans on how he altered his demeanor as a journalist interviewing entertainment versus political figures, and as an anchor reading the news
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On growing up in Bremerton, WA and the racism his parents faced in that place and time, and on how he did not experience similar discrimination; on a trip to Texas when he was a teenager and "Dixie" being played at an event dinner, and on how his mom helped him understand this challenging experience; on his interest in other countries and current events when he was in high school, and his particular interest in Paris; on the atmosphere in Bremerton, WA when he was growing up there
On the traits he inherited from his parents; on attending graduate school in Paris, and on moving to New York after graduation and working in public relations for Mobil; on how he got into television news, his first on-camera work while making a documentary about Easter Island for ABC News, and on how he came to be hired as a correspondent for ABC News; on studying international politics as an undergraduate at the University of Washington and in graduate school at the Sorbonne in Paris
On moving to New York after graduate school, and on how he came to work at ABC News; on his early days in journalism at ABC News, and on his interactions with Peter Jennings while working there; on his friendship with Pierre Salinger, and on how he felt about beginning to appear on-camera; on interviewing President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office in the late 1990s; on why ABC News sent him to Easter Island to make a documentary early in his career
On how he came to be assigned to report from Saigon during the Vietnam War, and on the danger he faced while reporting there; on the logistics of journalists traveling on military helicopters in Vietnam, and on how film was processed and broadcast in the United States during the war
On the importance of journalistic coverage of the Vietnam War, and on reporting from Cambodia; on how he dealt with the trauma he experienced as a war correspondent, and on reporting from Angola during the Angola War of Independence; on how a foreign correspondent can know who to trust when reporting from conflict zones, and on working with translators
Chapter 2
On reporting for the ABC News documentary Heroes and Heroin during the Vietnam War; on how he came to adopt his daughter from Vietnam while he was reporting there; on the fall of Saigon and where he was (not in Saigon) when that happened
On the biggest challenges of reporting from war zones, such as reporting from Cypress in 1974; on interviewing Henry Kissinger in Aswan, Egypt in the 1970s; on what he took away from his time as a war correspondent, and on covering the death of Diana, Princess of Wales from Paris and London; on covering the death of Francisco Franco in Spain, and on interaction with Grace Kelly on a plane
Chapter 3
On security concerns he faced as a foreign correspondent, and on his time as an independent producer; on how his time as a foreign correspondent ended and how he ended up coming to CBS Los Angeles, and on working with Connie Chung there
On moving to NBC Los Angeles as a weekend anchor and reporter, and on covering the 1994 Northridge earthquake; on covering the O. J. Simpson trial and its aftermath
On covering the Rodney King case, and on interviewing King; on the impact of his and other journalists' coverage of the O. J. Simpson case and Rodney King case; on keeping his personal opinion out of his reporting, and on other major Los Angeles stories, including the 1984 Olympics, Michael Jackson, and Magic Johnson's disclosure of his HIV diagnosis; on news coverage of Black people
Chapter 4
On anchoring Today in LA; on his travels, and on the difference in news coverage around the world; on what makes a good anchor team, and on how stories were assigned when he was at NBC Los Angeles; on how his demeanor changed depending on who he was interviewing and whether he was behind the anchor desk; on the response of the public to his reporting, including a fan letter he received from Steve Allen
On leaving NBC Los Angeles in 2001, and on whether he misses covering news that has happened since then; on unique experiences he had while reporting, and on feeling he was "doing good" through his reporting; on representation of Black people on television - both in news and entertainment - in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s; on what he did after leaving NBC Los Angeles: working at CNN, for Club Med, and working in public relations
On his time teaching journalism, and on the role of race in the decisions of which new stories get covered by the news; on the role of journalism in society; on good journalism and bad journalism, and on the most difficult parts of being a journalist; on his strategy when conducting interviews
On how technological advancements have affected journalism, and on whether truth still exists; on the role of journalism in holding politicians accountable, and on the impact of media consolidation; on what he foresees as the future of journalism, and on sponsorship and AI; on losing his home during the 2025 Palisades Fire, and on how he processes tragic events he has covered throughout his career; on the importance of oral history collections like The Interviews; on advice for aspiring journalists, on career highlights and regrets, and on how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
Topics
Advice
Jim Giggans on advice for aspiring journalists, and how his proudest career achievements
Bill Clinton
Jim Giggans on interviewing President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office in the late 1990s
First Big Break
Jim Giggans on how he first go into television, and on how making a documentary about Easter Island for ABC News led to his first on-camera work and from there to a job as a correspondent for ABC News
Historic Events and Social Change
Jim Giggans on the representation of Black people in the news in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s
Jim Giggans on covering the 1994 Northridge earthquake as a reporter for NBC Los Angeles
Jim Giggans on news coverage of Black people
Jim Giggans on reporting for the ABC News documentary Heroes and Heroin, about drug abuse by soldiers in the Vietnam War
Jim Giggans on how he came to work at ABC News and participate in a journalism writing program through the network
Jim Giggans on his feelings about appearing on-camera as a Black reporter in the early days of his career
Jim Giggans on how he came to be assigned to report from Saigon in September 1970, and on rotating in and out of Saigon over the course of two years
Jim Giggans on the danger he faced as a foreign correspondent reporting from Saigon during the Vietnam War, and on his first near-death experience while reporting on the war
Jim Giggans on the logistics of journalists traveling on military helicopters during the Vietnam War, and on how the film shot by journalists in Vietnam was processed and broadcast in the United States
Jim Giggans on the importance of journalistic coverage of the Vietnam War, and on a life-threatening experience he had while reporting in Cambodia
Jim Giggans on reporting in Angola during the Angolan War of Independence, and on the dangerous circumstances he faced while trying to leave the country
Media Consolidation
Jim Giggans on the impact of media consolidation, especially in terms of local news
Natural Disasters
Jim Giggans on covering the 1994 Northridge earthquake as a reporter for NBC Los Angeles
Pivotal Career Moments
Jim Giggans on how his time as a foreign correspondent ended and how he ended up coming to CBS Los Angeles
Jim Giggans on how he first go into television, and on how making a documentary about Easter Island for ABC News led to his first on-camera work and from there to a job as a correspondent for ABC News
Representation on Television
Jim Giggans on the representation of Black people in the news in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s
Jim Giggans on news coverage of Black people
Jim Giggans on how he came to work at ABC News and participate in a journalism writing program through the network
Jim Giggans on his feelings about appearing on-camera as a Black reporter in the early days of his career
Technological Innovation
Jim Giggans on how technological innovation has affected journalism
Television and the Presidency
Jim Giggans on interviewing President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office in the 1990s
Television Industry
Jim Giggans on advice for aspiring journalists, and how his proudest career achievements
Underrepresented Voices
Jim Giggans on the representation of Black people in the news in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s
Jim Giggans on news coverage of Black people
Jim Giggans on how he came to work at ABC News and participate in a journalism writing program through the network
Jim Giggans on his feelings about appearing on-camera as a Black reporter in the early days of his career
Vietnam War
Jim Giggans on reporting for the ABC News documentary Heroes and Heroin, about drug abuse by soldiers in the Vietnam War
Jim Giggans on how he came to be assigned to report from Saigon in September 1970, and on rotating in and out of Saigon over the course of two years
Jim Giggans on the danger he faced as a foreign correspondent reporting from Saigon during the Vietnam War, and on his first near-death experience while reporting on the war
Jim Giggans on the logistics of journalists traveling on military helicopters during the Vietnam War, and on how the film shot by journalists in Vietnam was processed and broadcast in the United States
Jim Giggans on the importance of journalistic coverage of the Vietnam War, and on a life-threatening experience he had while reporting in Cambodia
War
Jim Giggans on reporting for the ABC News documentary Heroes and Heroin, about drug abuse by soldiers in the Vietnam War
Jim Giggans on the logistics of reporting from a war zone, such as in Cypress in 1974
Jim Giggans on how he came to be assigned to report from Saigon in September 1970, and on rotating in and out of Saigon over the course of two years
Jim Giggans on the danger he faced as a foreign correspondent reporting from Saigon during the Vietnam War, and on his first near-death experience while reporting on the war
Jim Giggans on the logistics of journalists traveling on military helicopters during the Vietnam War, and on how the film shot by journalists in Vietnam was processed and broadcast in the United States
Jim Giggans on the importance of journalistic coverage of the Vietnam War, and on a life-threatening experience he had while reporting in Cambodia
Jim Giggans on reporting in Angola during the Angolan War of Independence, and on the dangerous circumstances he faced while trying to leave the country
Professions
Anchor
Jim Giggans on what makes a good news anchor team
Jim Giggans on working as a weekend anchor at NBC Los Angeles, and on the relationship between the public and television reporters
Correspondent
Jim Giggans on security concerns he faced as a foreign correspondent
Jim Giggans on the logistics of reporting from a war zone, such as in Cypress in 1974
Jim Giggans on what he took away from his time as a foreign correspondent, and on covering the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Jim Giggans on covering the death of Francisco Franco in Spain
Jim Giggans on the danger he faced as a foreign correspondent reporting from Saigon during the Vietnam War, and on his first near-death experience while reporting on the war
Jim Giggans on the logistics of journalists traveling on military helicopters during the Vietnam War, and on how the film shot by journalists in Vietnam was processed and broadcast in the United States
Jim Giggans on the importance of journalistic coverage of the Vietnam War, and on a life-threatening experience he had while reporting in Cambodia
Jim Giggans on how he handled the trauma he experienced as a war correspondent, and on facing dangerous situations reporting in Angola during the Angolan War of Independence
Jim Giggans on how a foreign correspondent can know who to trust when reporting from conflict zones, on following local customs when in different countries, and on working with translators
Journalists & News Producers
Jim Giggans on what makes a good news anchor team
Jim Giggans on how he altered his demeanor as a journalist interviewing entertainment versus political figures, and as an anchor reading the news
Jim Giggans on the role of journalism in society
Jim Giggans on what makes good and bad journalism, on the most difficult part of being a journalist, and on a threatening incident related to his coverage of the conflict in Northern Ireland
Jim Giggans on his strategy when conducting interviews
Jim Giggans on how technological innovation has affected journalism, and on whether truth still exists
Jim Giggans on what he foresees as the future of journalism, and on sponsorship and AI in journalism
Jim Giggans on how his experiences during the 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles made him think back on times he reported on tragic events around the world in his career
Jim Giggans on advice for aspiring journalists, and on his proudest career achievements
Jim Giggans on security concerns he faced as a foreign correspondent
Jim Giggans on working as a weekend anchor at NBC Los Angeles, and on the relationship between the public and television reporters
Jim Giggans on covering the O. J. Simpson trial and its aftermath as a reporter for NBC Los Angeles, and on finding different angles on long-running stories
Jim Giggans on keeping his personal opinions out of his reporting
Jim Giggans on the logistics of reporting from a war zone, such as in Cypress in 1974
Jim Giggans on what he took away from his time as a foreign correspondent, and on covering the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Jim Giggans on covering the death of Francisco Franco in Spain
Jim Giggans on his early days at ABC News
Jim Giggans on the danger he faced as a foreign correspondent reporting from Saigon during the Vietnam War, and on his first near-death experience while reporting on the war
Jim Giggans on the logistics of journalists traveling on military helicopters during the Vietnam War, and on how the film shot by journalists in Vietnam was processed and broadcast in the United States
Jim Giggans on the importance of journalistic coverage of the Vietnam War, and on a life-threatening experience he had while reporting in Cambodia
Jim Giggans on how he handled the trauma he experienced as a war correspondent, and on facing dangerous situations reporting in Angola during the Angolan War of Independence
Jim Giggans on how a foreign correspondent can know who to trust when reporting from conflict zones, on following local customs when in different countries, and on working with translators
Genres
News and Documentary
Jim Giggans on anchoring Today in LA
Jim Giggans on reporting for the ABC News documentary Heroes and Heroin, about drug abuse by soldiers in the Vietnam War
Jim Giggans on how he first go into television, and on how making a documentary about Easter Island for ABC News led to his first on-camera work and from there to a job as a correspondent for ABC News
People
Connie Chung
Jim Giggans on working with Connie Chung at CBS Los Angeles
Peter Jennings
Jim Giggans on interactions with Peter Jennings when he was working at ABC News
Grace Kelly
Jim Giggans on an interaction with Grace Kelly on an airplane in 1975
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jim Giggans on writing a letter to the local news about the coverage of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the fact that there were no Black reporters doing the reporting
Henry Kissinger
Jim Giggans on interviewing Henry Kissinger in Aswan, Egypt in the 1970s
Elmer Lower
Jim Giggans on getting his first job in television through a meeting with then-president of ABC News Elmer Lower
Pierre Salinger
Jim Giggans on his friendship with Pierre Salinger when they both lived in Paris
O. J. Simpson
Jim Giggans on covering the O. J. Simpson trial and its aftermath as a reporter for NBC Los Angeles