Jim Lehrer

In his nearly three-hour interview, Jim Lehrer (1934-2020) talks about his early years as a newspaper reporter and his transition to broadcast journalist. He describes being in Dallas on the day of President Kennedy's assassination in 1963, recounts asking the Secret Service if the protective bubble would be on the president's car, and ponders how that may have affected the day's events. He talks about becoming a news anchor for PBS in its formative years, and the challenges that came along with it. Lehrer recalls covering the Watergate hearings, where he was first partnered with Robert MacNeil - the man who would act as his co-anchor for several years thereafter. He speaks of NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, aka PBS NewsHour, the groundbreaking and award-winning newscast he first hosted with Robert MacNeil, and later solo. He concludes by discussing how the industry has changed and offers advice to aspiring journalists. Don Carleton conducted the interview on May 21, 2001 in Arlington, VA.