About
"In questioning public officials who owe an explanation to the public, I try to be equally vicious to all of them."
In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Sam Donaldson talks about his tenure at WTOP-TV in Washington D.C. and his move to ABC News as a Washington news reporter. He discusses his coverage of Vietnam where he served as a war correspondent in 1971. He recalls his experiences as ABC's Capitol Hill correspondent during the Nixon era, punctuated by the Watergate scandal. He discusses his coverage of Jimmy Carter's campaign and his tenure as White House correspondent during the Carter administration. He talks about the impact of the Iran Hostage Crisis on the Carter presidency and the release of the hostages timed to coincide with the inauguration of Ronald Reagan. He talks about covering the Reagan presidency including the assassination attempt that he witnessed firsthand. He discusses his appearance as a regular on This Week with David Brinkley and its subsequent incarnation as This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts. He speaks about the creation of Primetime Live, on which he served as co-anchor with Diane Sawyer. Finally, he discusses working with such colleagues as Peter Jennings and Helen Thomas. Karen Herman conducted the interview on September 14, 2005 in Washington, D.C.
Highlights
Sam Donaldson on his aggressive reporting style
Sam Donaldson on a humorous remark made to him by Jimmy Carter
Sam Donaldson on the news events early in his career which shaped his attitude on covering public figures: Vietnam and Watergate
Sam Donaldson on how political conventions have changed since the first one he covered in 1964
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early years growing up in Texas
On his education, service in the U.S. Army, and first jobs
On working at KRLD-TV in Dallas before being hired at WTOP in Washington, D.C. as summer relief announcer
On replacing Roger Mudd in the news department at WTOP and some of the stories he covered
On moving to ABC to become its Washington correspondent in 1967
Chapter 2
On his first days as a Washington news correspondent at ABC in 1967
On his reporting style and first stories covered at ABC News
On covering the Vietnam War for ABC News
On covering Watergate for ABC News and the overall news policy at ABC at the time
Chapter 3
On two examples of ABC's poor handling of his news scoops early in the late 60s and early 70s
On covering Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign (with highlights) for ABC News
On covering Jimmy Carter's presidency as ABC's White House Correspondent
On Ronald Reagan
Chapter 4
On covering the attempted assassination of President Reagan
On covering the Reagan administration as ABC White House correspondent
On his tenure on This Week with David Brinkley
On his work on Primetime Live and working with Roone Arledge
Chapter 5
On This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
On returning as an ABC White House correspondent to cover part of the Clinton administration; then leaving in 1995 for health reasons
On the September 11, 2001 attacks and his view of generational historical moments
On being a news commentator and advice to aspiring White House correspondents
On colleagues Peter Jennings, Tom Jarriel, producer Dorrance Smith, and Helen Thomas
On people's misconceptions about his aggressiveness and how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
ABC News Nightline
Sam Donaldson on the origin of Nightline
Meet the Press
Sam Donaldson on Meet the Press being competition for This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
Primetime Live
Sam Donaldson on ABC News' Primetime Live
This Week with David Brinkley
Sam Donaldson on working on This Week with David Brinkley
This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
Sam Donaldson on This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
Topics
9/11
On the September 11, 2001 attacks and his view of generational historical moments
Bill Clinton
Sam Donaldson on returning as chief ABC White House correspondent to cover the Clinton administration
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Sam Donaldson on reporting on the fall of the Berlin Wall on Primetime Live
Gulf War
Sam Donaldson on how press access changed between the Vietnam and the Gulf Wars
Iran Hostage Crisis
Sam Donaldson on covering the Iran Hostage Crisis
JFK Assassination and Funeral
Sam Donaldson on witnessing Senator Ted Kennedy hear of JFK's being shot
Jimmy Carter
Sam Donaldson on covering Jimmy Carters presidential campaign for ABC News
Sam Donaldson on covering Jimmy Carter's presidency as ABC's White House correspondent
John F. Kennedy
Sam Donaldson on President Kennedy's appeal to his generation
Lyndon B. Johnson
Sam Donaldson on covering the 1971 Fulbright Hearings on Vietnam
Media Bias
Sam Donaldson on criticism of his aggressive journalistic style
Richard M. Nixon
Sam Donaldson on almost getting an interview with President Nixon at the 1972 Republican National Convention
Sam Donaldson on covering Watergate for ABC News
Sam Donaldson on losing a scoop during Watergate
Ronald Reagan
Sam Donaldson on the differences in how the Carter and Reagan administrations treated the press
Sam Donaldson on Ronald Reagan
Sam Donaldson on covering the assassination attempt on President Reagan as ABC White House correspondent
Sam Donaldson on President Reagan lying about Iran-Contra
Sam Donaldson on battles with Reagan White House spokesman Larry Speakes
Television and the Presidency
Sam Donaldson on how political conventions have changed since the first one he covered in 1964
Sam Donaldson on how Leonard Goldenson's budget cuts affected ABC news coverage of the 1968 political conventions
Sam Donaldson on the differences in how the Carter and Reagan administrations treated the press
Television Industry
Sam Donaldson on his coverage of Watergate and how the later growth of cable fragmented news audiences
Vietnam War
Sam Donaldson on covering the Vietnam War for ABC News
We Cried
Sam Donaldson on questionning Ronald Reagan about the failure of O-rings in the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy
On the September 11, 2001 attacks and his view of generational historical moments
World War II
Sam Donaldson on being a child during WWII
Professions
Correspondent
Sam Donaldson on returning as an ABC White House correspondent after serving as anchor of Primetime Live
Sam Donaldson on his advice to aspiring White House correspondents
Journalists & News Producers
Sam Donaldson on his initial reluctance to join ABC news in 1967
Sam Donaldson on his aggressive reporting style
Sam Donaldson on the competitive nature of ABC News in the 1970s as they tried to scoop CBS or NBC
Sam Donaldson on the visual aspect of TV news coverage
Sam Donaldson on the magazine news show format (Primetime Live)
Sam Donaldson on becoming a commentator on roundtable programs
Sam Donaldson on criticism of his aggressive journalistic style
Genres
News and Documentary
Sam Donaldson on his initial reluctance to join ABC news in 1967
Sam Donaldson on his first days as a Washington news correspondent at ABC in 1967
Sam Donaldson on how Leonard Goldenson's budget cuts affected ABC news coverage of the 1968 political conventions
Sam Donaldson on the competitive nature of ABC News in the 1970s as they tried to scoop CBS or NBC
Sam Donaldson gives two examples of ABC's poor handling of his news scoops early in the late 60s and early 70s
Sam Donaldson on the visual aspect of TV news coverage
Sam Donaldson on the magazine news show format (Primetime Live)
Sam Donaldson on This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
Sam Donaldson on criticism of his aggressive journalistic style
People
Roone Arledge
Sam Donaldson on crediting Roone Arledge for turning ABC News around
Sam Donaldson on Roone Arledge's showmanship and the origin of Nightline
Sam Donaldson on working with Roone Arledge and Arledge's legacy
Sam Donaldson on Roone Arledge backing him up when the White House was upset with Donaldson's questioning
Menachem Begin
Sam Donaldson on President Jimmy Carter's role in the Camp David Accords
David Brinkley
Sam Donaldson on David Brinkley
Jimmy Carter
Sam Donaldson on his interactions with President Jimmy Carter
Lillian Carter
Sam Donaldson on covering Jimmy Carters presidential campaign for ABC News
John Chancellor
Sam Donaldson on John Chancellor being arrested on the Republican convention floor in 1964
Jerry Falwell
Sam Donaldson on Jerry Falwell's remarks that incoming President Reagan was a "true Christian"
Charlie Gibson
Sam Donaldson on Charlie Gibson working with Diane Sawyer
Leonard H. Goldenson
Sam Donaldson on how Leonard Goldenson's budget cuts affected ABC news coverage of the 1968 political conventions
Sam Donaldson on Leonard Goldenson's resistance to ABC's Roone Arledge hiring David Brinkley (who was then 61)
Jim Haggerty
Sam Donaldson on Jim Haggerty being hired by ABC to form its news department
John S. Hayes
Sam Donaldson on Washington Post Executive in charge of TV, John S. Hayes, who hired him at WTOP
Tom Jarriel
Sam Donaldson on ABC News colleague Tom Jarriel
Peter Jennings
Sam Donaldson on the competitive nature of ABC News in the 1970s as they tried to scoop CBS or NBC
Sam Donaldson on ABC News colleague Peter Jennings
John F. Kennedy
Sam Donaldson on President Kennedy's appeal
Robert F. Kennedy
Sam Donaldson on getting the unaired scoop that Robert F. Kennedy would run for President
Ted Kennedy
Sam Donaldson on witnessing Senator Ted Kennedy hear of JFK's being shot
Ted Koppel
Sam Donaldson on going to Asia to cover the Vietnam War and being picked up by ABC bureau chief Ted Koppel on a motorcycle
Sam Donaldson on the competitive nature of ABC News in the 1970s as they tried to scoop CBS or NBC
Elmer Lower
Sam Donaldson on ABC News president Elmer Lower
Sam Donaldson on how Leonard Goldenson's budget cuts affected ABC news coverage of the 1968 political conventions
Jody Powell
Sam Donaldson on Carter White House press secretary Jody Powell breaking it to Carter that he would lose his reelection bid
Ronald Reagan
Sam Donaldson on Ronald Reagan
Sam Donaldson on covering the assassination attempt on President Reagan as ABC White House correspondent
Nancy Reagan
Sam Donaldson on battles with Reagan White House spokesman Larry Speakes
Frank Reynolds
Sam Donaldson on working with news anchor Frank Reynolds on ABC News' Watergate coverage
Sam Donaldson on the origin of Nightline
Sam Donaldson on covering the assassination attempt on President Reagan as ABC White House correspondent
Cokie Roberts
Sam Donaldson on having covered Hale Boggs, his later-colleague and Cokie Roberts' father
Sam Donaldson on working with Cokie Roberts
Sam Donaldson on This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
Tim Russert
Sam Donaldson on Meet the Press being competition for This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
Anwar Sadat
Sam Donaldson on President Jimmy Carter's role in the Camp David Accords
Diane Sawyer
Sam Donaldson on ABC News' Primetime Live
Dorrance Smith
Sam Donaldson on ABC News producer Dorrance Smith
Larry Speakes
Sam Donaldson on battles with Reagan White House spokesman Larry Speakes
Helen Thomas
Sam Donaldson on fellow White House press corps member Helen Thomas
David Westin
Sam Donaldson on ABC News president David Westin asking him to cover the Clinton White House
George Will
Sam Donaldson on George Will
Sam Donaldson on sparring with George Will on roundtable shows