Journalists & News Producers

Robert G. Anderson on what he learned in journalism school and what they failed to teach

Robert G. Anderson on the biggest challenges reporting the news in Asia, and on smuggling in equipment

Robert G. Anderson on how he was able to scoop a big story about Indira Gandhi by sharing sources with the AP

Robert G. Anderson on the cultural differences he experienced while covering news from Korea

Robert G. Anderson on being rejected by television news stations as an on-air correspondent, and realizing he could be a producer

Robert G. Anderson on what Mike Wallace brought to 60 Minutes, and on his reporting style and how it affected the stories he covered (specifically, on "The Archbishop" story)

Robert G. Anderson on the advice Dan Rather and others gave him about producing 60 Minutes (versus the Evening News): choose your main character carefully

Robert G. Anderson on the importance of post-production on a 60 Minutes piece, and on the difference between cutting for a documentary-style piece versus a news piece: "it has to work for the ear"

Robert G. Anderson on his approach to writing for the news

Robert G. Anderson on how news reporting has changed over the years

Robert G. Anderson on advice he would offer an aspiring news producer

Robert G. Anderson on the best part of being a producer: "it's a do-gooder business"

Robert G. Anderson on the challenges of being a news producer, and on handling the unexpected

Army Archerd on covering the Hollywood beat for print news outlets

Army Archerd on his advice to aspiring entertainment reporters

Peter Arnett on the differences between print journalism and television journalism

Peter Arnett on the process of putting a television news story together, and on reporting for CNN from Central America

Peter Arnett on good advice he received when starting out as a journalist

Peter Arnett on conveying the importance of a free press to students

Rona Barrett on the "rules" for her interviews

Rona Barrett on advice to aspiring gossip reporters

Rona Barrett on her early interview technique

Rona Barrett on getting her stories and dealing with the legal department

Rona Barrett on how she got her stories

Lowell Bergman on dealing with deadlines

Lowell Bergman on working for 20/20 and the differences between reporters and producers

Lowell Bergman on reporting for ABC News and dealing with media savvy subjects

Lowell Bergman on producing news stories from dangerous places

Lowell Bergman on advice to an aspiring journalist

Linda Bell Blue on her management style as a producer

Linda Bell Blue on the format of  Entertainment Tonight and keeping the audience tuned in

Linda Bell Blue on how ideas go from pitch to actual story on Entertainment Tonight

Linda Bell Blue on advice to aspiring news producers

Ed Bradley on getting his first on-camera interview at WCBS

Ed Bradley on developing journalistic impartiality during the Civil Rights Movement

Ed Bradley on the difference between reporting for radio versus television

Ed Bradley on keeping his personal opinions about war out of the reporting on the Vietnam conflict

Ed Bradley on his concept of the television documentary as he became head correspondent of CBS Reports

Ed Bradley on coming up with documentary subjects for CBS Reports

Ed Bradley on 60 Minutes executive producer Don Hewitt's editorial style

Ed Bradley on his interviewing style

Ed Bradley on the importance of segment producers

Ed Bradley on professional standards in broadcast journalism

Tom Brokaw on the role of the network news anchor, and on going to South Africa to cover the release of Nelson Mendela

Tom Brokaw on how print journalism differs from broadcast journalism

Tom Brokaw on the role of the news anchor and the correspondent

Tom Brokaw on the different challenges and roles of an analyst and a reporter

Tom Brokaw on advice to aspiring television journalists

Vivian Brown on a typical week in her life at The Weather Channel

Vivian Brown on advice to aspiring meteorologists 

Jim Cantore on his career path to being a meteorologist

Jim Cantore on advice to aspiring weather forecasters

Jim Cantore on what he wears when he reports on extreme weather and the importance of protecting equipment

Jim Cantore on the dangers of reporting live from the field

Stan Chambers on the process of covering local news

Connie Chung on her interest in journalism

Connie Chung on becoming a news writer and an on-air reporter

Connie Chung on getting hired at CBS News

Nick Clooney on how news reporting has changed over the years

Nick Clooney on his style of news reporting

Nick Clooney on action reporting in the news and the then-current style of news

Anderson Cooper on maintaining neutrality as a journalist 

Anderson Cooper on dealing with breaking news as an anchor live 

Anderson Cooper on advice to aspiring television journalists 

Katie Couric on lessons learned from being an anchor on Today

Walter Cronkite on some early lessons about journalism from his days writing for radio

Walter Cronkite on the changes in journalistic integrity; says the press is "more responsible" now than in the 30s when he was a newspaper reporter; tells anecdote of getting facts wrong in one case

Walter Cronkite on how they called a play-by-play telegraph football game in his radio days, and how one time the wires went down and he had to make up his own version of the game

Walter Cronkite on learning a valuable lesson- never broadcast anything you haven't fully researched

Walter Cronkite on doing the news broadcast in 1950 with no script

Walter Cronkite on the subtle differences in TV journalism between editorials, commentary, and analysis

Walter Cronkite on covering the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I in London in 1953, and the technical challenges that presented

Walter Cronkite on the pressures on the press by the White House over the Watergate story

Walter Cronkite on how important Producers are to the News genre, but often overlooked

Ann Curry on what she learned from her first internship in television news, at KTVL in Medford, Oregon: "television is incredibly powerful and dangerous, especially in journalism...a sobering power that needed to be met with a sense of responsibility"

Ann Curry on her internship at KTVL in Medford, Oregon after college, and on how it led to her becoming a reporter at the station

Ann Curry on being hired as a reporter at KTVL in Medford, Oregon, a station that had never before had a female reporter, and on the sexism she faced on the job

Ann Curry on journalism advice she received from a newspaper reporter early on in her career that has stayed with her: "don't trust anyone" because everyone has their own take on the truth, and how the responsibility of the journalist is to ensure she is telling what actually happened

Ann Curry on what she learned about journalism from working in local markets

Ann Curry on becoming comfortable as a news anchor early in her career, and on when she began to dream of being a news anchor like Walter Cronkite

Ann Curry on how she prepares herself to cover traumatic events like wars and genocides, and on the challenge of coming home from the coverage of such events

Ann Curry on how she approaches interviews with world leaders, particularly those involved in or responsible for wars or other conflicts, including President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir and President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Ann Curry on how she is able to remain neutral or not when conducting interviews, with the example of interviewing Laurent Nkundu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for NBC News, after an earlier interaction a young woman who had been victimized by soldiers under his leadership, and on the impact of doing interviews with people in dire and tragic situations

Ann Curry on what makes a great interview

Ann Curry on conducting interviews with world leaders who are using translators

Ann Curry on the public's perception of broadcast news, and on how and why it is has changed over time

Ann Curry on how the press should respond to President Trump's assertion that they are "the enemy of the people", and on past presidents' relationships with the press

Ann Curry on how journalists should respond to assertions of "fake news" and restore the public's trust in journalism: "get it right, and be fair and unbiased"

Ann Curry on the impact of the public getting their news from social media and other free sources, and on the importance of the public subscribing to news outlets, and on the possibilities of the then-future of journalism

Ann Curry on advice to aspiring journalists

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

Sam Donaldson on his initial reluctance to join ABC news in 1967

Betty Cole Dukert on setting ground rules for the reporters on Meet the Press

Betty Cole Dukert on advice to aspiring news producers

Linda Ellerbee on advice to aspiring journalists and news producers

Jeff Fager on his first job as a producer on the 11 o'clock news at KPIX in San Francisco

Jeff Fager on his first job at CBS News, on the overnight news show, Nightwatch

Jeff Fager on how Don Hewitt's philosophy of news influenced him as producer of 60 Minutes

Jeff Fager on producing hard news versus entertainment stories: he prefers "entertaining stories" on CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes

Jeff Fager on the production of 60 Minutes: pitching stories and how he approves or rejects story ideas

Jeff Fager on what journalists can learn from Mike Wallace and Ed Bradley about conducting interviews

Jeff Fager on stories he worked on as producer of CBS Evening News with Dan Rather in London

Jeff Fager on the process of developing stories for 60 Minutes

Jeff Fager on the process of editing and occasionally reshooting stories on 60 Minutes

Jeff Fager on moving from producer to executive producer after having gathered enough experience in the field to be an effective editor of others' stories

Jeff Fager on being executive producer of CBS Evening News with Dan Rather at a time when news was becoming more sensational

Jeff Fager on the responsibility he felt in producing news stories in the wake of 9/11

Jeff Fager on bringing on younger correspondents when he became executive producer of 60 Minutes and the importance of diversity

Jeff Fager on balancing his roles as Chairman of CBS News and executive producer of 60 Minutes and his proudest achievements as Chairman

Jeff Fager on concerns over libel claims as a news producer: "these aren't legal issues, they're fairness issues"

Jeff Fager on the most difficult and the most exciting part about being executive producer of 60 Minutes

Jeff Fager on the best advice he received on producing a story, from Don Hewitt

Jeff Fager on advice for young journalists

Jeff Fager on the lifestyle of being a journalist

Murray Fromson on the language barrier that foreign correspondents face, and his particular challenges when he was covering Japan and Korea after the Korean War

Murray Fromson on the experience of an American reporting in a foreign country, and the inevitable cultural biases that appear in reporting

Murray Fromson on how the parameters of what the press reports on and has access to has changed over time

Murray Fromson on what was involved with being the field producer for CBS News' coverage of Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign

Murray Fromson on threats to journalistic freedom from Richard M. Nixon's administration, and the formation of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Murray Fromson on how he reported conversations with dissidents in the Soviet Union while working there in the 1970s

Murray Fromson on his proudest career achievements and on the then-current state of journalism

Murray Fromson on the centrality of a free press to a free society

Murray Fromson on the idea of a professional code of ethics for journalists

Murray Fromson on advice to aspiring journalists

Don Hewitt on the most rewarding aspect of being a producer of television news, and on what represents the best of television

Gwen Ifill on knowing she wanted to be a journalist at age nine

Gwen Ifill on Tim Russert talking her into going on television full time

Gwen Ifill on starting on NewsHour with Jim Lehrer aka PBS NewsHour and starting to anchor

Lucy Jarvis on advice to aspiring documentarians

Lucy Jarvis on what makes a good news/documentary program

Jeff Kisseloff on his methodology when compiling oral histories

Jeff Kisseloff on getting people to talk to him for his oral histories

Jeff Kisseloff on the process of compiling interviews and finding narratives for his book "The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961"

Jeff Kisseloff on the facts vs people's versions of history

Jeff Kisseloff on looking at people's paperwork and memorabilia when compiling interviews for his book "The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961"

Jeff Kisseloff on the people he didn't get to interview for his book "The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961"

Jeff Kisseloff on how he started his book "The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961"

Jeff Kisseloff on the scope of his interviews for his book "The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961"

Jeff Kisseloff on choosing the end point for his book "The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961"

Jeff Kisseloff on dealing with human limitations (memory lapses, ect.) when compiling his book "The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961"

Jeff Kisseloff on the importance of capturing older people's experience for projects like his book "The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961"

Jeff Kisseloff on dealing with various personalities and situations when conducting oral history interviews, including Norman Felton and Greg Garrison

Jeff Kisseloff on the code of ethics and best practices he follows for his oral history interviews

Jeff Kisseloff on the differences between interviewing on audio tape and video tape

Jeff Kisseloff on oral historians working with advancements in technology

Jeff Kisseloff on the books he authored being used in academia

Jeff Kisseloff on what makes a great interviewer, and getting valuable information from subjects

Ted Koppel on wanting to be Edward R. Murrow when he grew up

Ted Koppel on becoming an anchor at ABC Evening News

Ted Koppel on advice to aspiring journalists

Steve Kroft on the biggest story of his career and his advice to aspiring journalists

Jim Lehrer on interviewing

Jim Lehrer on what makes a good interview

Jim Lehrer on advice to aspiring broadcast journalists

Kurt Loder on his favorite stories and his interview techniques for MTV News

Kurt Loder on advice to aspiring music journalists

Robert MacNeil on editing news stories 

Robert MacNeil on the logistics of The MacNeil Lehrer NewsHour and hiring staff for the show

Robert MacNeil on doing the assignments for The MacNeil Lehrer NewsHour  and writing his scripts

Robert MacNeil on how he goes about researching a story he's covering and his interview technique

Robert MacNeil on the difference between serious journalism and not serious journalism

Robert MacNeil on the journalist's code of ethics

Sig Mickelson on the duty of broadcast news to be objective, and on the public perception of broadcast news' integrity

Sig Mickelson on journalists having a professional code of ethics

Bill Monroe on covering politics at WDSU in New Orleans, and on setting up camera in the legislature

Bill Monroe on the introduction of editorials on local news shows, like WDSU, and on their editorials on school desegregation

Bill Monroe on difficult interviews he conducted on Meet the Press, and his interviewing technique

Roger Mudd on the process of reporting at CBS in the 1960s

Roger Mudd on filling in for Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News

Roger Mudd on his view of ethics in journalism

Roger Mudd on what TV news owes to the public

Roger Mudd on advice to aspiring broadcast journalists

Horace Newcomb on advice to aspiring television academics

Nicolas Noxon on the logistics of shooting National Geographic Specials on location

Nicolas Noxon on the process of producing a documentary

Nicolas Noxon on how he knows when a documentary is complete

Nicolas Noxon on advice to aspiring documentarians

Nicolas Noxon on objectivity and ethics in documentaries

Soledad O'Brien on what she learned working for Bob Bazell as his associate producer at NBC Nightly News; on enjoying traveling for work

Soledad O'Brien on what's in her go-bag when she travels for work

Soledad O'Brien on developing her voice as an anchor

Soledad O'Brien on the role of an anchor and the role of a reporter

Soledad O'Brien on network notes she received while at NBC and CNN

Soledad O'Brien on the state of journalism in the 1990s, women she worked with at KRON, and whether or not she faced bias and discrimination at that time

Soledad O'Brien on how she approaches interviewing people who are in the midst of tragedy

Soledad O'Brien on the importance of identity, who tells stories, and cultural context

Soledad O'Brien on what makes a good interview

Soledad O'Brien on safety precautions she takes to protect herself and her crew when covering natural and man-made disasters

Soledad O'Brien on how she manages after covering a difficult story

Soledad O'Brien on asset framing and deficit framing and how they impact storytelling

Soledad O'Brien on the role of a journalist in 2022

Soledad O'Brien on the term "both sides-ism"

Soledad O'Brien on objectivity in journalism

Soledad O'Brien on bias in reporting and in hiring

Soledad O'Brien on journalists she grew up respecting and watching

Soledad O'Brien on how changes in media consumption have impacted journalism

Soledad O'Brien on how she defines good journalism

Soledad O'Brien on the logistical challenges of production during the COVID-19 pandemic

Soledad O'Brien on penning "A MeToo Moment for Journalists of Color" for The New York Times in July 2020

Soledad O'Brien on inclusivity in her hiring practices

Soledad O'Brien on advice to aspiring journalists

Soledad O'Brien on the best advice she's ever received

Soledad O'Brien on the importance of mentors and sponsors in her career

Soledad O'Brien on what she looks for in assembling a team

Soledad O'Brien on her greatest career achievement

Soledad O'Brien on career regrets

Soledad O'Brien on dream projects that she'd like to do

Jane Pauley on being comfortable in front of the camera

Jane Pauley on the current and future role of the news anchors

Jane Pauley on the continuing evolution of journalism

Jane Pauley on her dislike of "the get"

Jane Pauley on advice for people getting into broadcasting

Maury Povich on his preference between hosting a talk show and anchoring news

Maury Povich on what makes a good news anchor

Jorge Ramos on being hired at KMEX channel 34 in Los Angeles and learning how to tell a story

Jorge Ramos on being an objective journalist and covering the Elián González story

Jorge Ramos on his and his crew's safety when traveling in war zones and other dangerous places 

Jorge Ramos on what makes a good interview and his most important interviews

Jorge Ramos on the role of a journalist and taking a stand

Jorge Ramos on good advice he's received about being a journalist 

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on advice to someone starting a journalism career

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on their longevity 

Dan Rather on the news profession and what it means to him "to live a purposeful life"

Dan Rather on being a young reporter trying to get his Civil Rights news feed out while in the Deep South

Dan Rather on journalism

Dan Rather on the emotional impact of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and how he dealt with it as he reported on the events that day

Geraldo Rivera on his early reports on WABC Eyewitness News

Geraldo Rivera on his advice to aspiring journalists

Cokie Roberts on her decision to become a journalist, and on early local shows she worked on

Cokie Roberts on concerns about her impartiality as a journalist with family members in Congress

Cokie Roberts on how her family background in politics helped her when she began covering Congress, and how coverage of Congress has changed

Cokie Roberts on her reporting style

Cokie Roberts on the most important responsibility of a journalist, and on remaining objective

Cokie Roberts on how the state of journalism has changed since she started

Cokie Roberts on the medium she prefers to work in, and on political satire

Cokie Roberts on advice to aspiring television journalists

Howard Rosenberg on advice to aspiring television critics

Tim Russert on his opinion that a vigilant media can change the course of history

Tim Russert on his career trajectory which culminated in journalism

Morley Safer on wanting to be a journalist when he was young

Maria Elena Salinas on appealing to different aspects of the Latino community

Maria Elena Salinas on covering immigration and doing advocacy journalism 

Maria Elena Salinas on preparation she does to interview world leaders and others

Maria Elena Salinas on what makes a good interview

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on advice to someone starting a journalism career

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on their longevity

Maria Elena Salinas on anchoring coverage of various natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes and dealing with her personal feelings about such events 

Bob Schieffer on how he prepares for a Face the Nation telecast, and on his ground rules for interviews

Bob Schieffer on advice to aspiring journalists

Bob Simon on what he has learned about being a news correspondent and how he honed his "bullshit detector"

Bob Simon on advice to aspiring journalists

Bob Simon on the process of developing a story for the news

Bob Simon on having an interviewee walk out on him during an interview

Bob Simon on his captivity in Iraq by Saddam Hussein's regime while reporting on the Gulf War

Howard K. Smith on meeting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt - his start as a professional journalist

Howard K. Smith on broadcasting for CBS Radio and writing for "The New York Times" during World War II

Howard K. Smith on doing Edward R. Murrow's year-end television shows 

Sanford Socolow on his role and Don Hewitt's role as producers of CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite

Sanford Socolow on not becoming Executive Producer of CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite  when producer Ernie Lizer stepped down

Sanford Socolow on differences between writing for print journalism and broadcasting

Lesley Stahl on tenacity in journalism

Lesley Stahl on consciously trying to convey authority as a reporter

Lesley Stahl on her interviewing style

Lesley Stahl on advice for beginning journalists

Lesley Stahl on the personal toll of covering the White House as a correspondent

Lesley Stahl on how the resistance of the Carter Administration to her becoming CBS White House correspondent ended up working in her favor in terms of developing richer contacts

Robert Trout on advice to aspiring broadcast journalists

Mike Wallace on his early interview style

Mike Wallace on a journalist's code of ethics

Barbara Walters on her approach to interviewing

Av Westin on the importance of the producer in television news

Av Westin on advice to aspiring journalists

Av Westin on the career path he'd take if he were starting out in 2011

Brian Williams on becoming anchor of NBC Nightly News and his philosophy on anchoring

Brian Williams on his early broadcasting style

Perry Wolff on Standards and Practices he applies to television documentaries

Perry Wolff on his greatest achievement and his advice to aspiring television documentary filmmakers