>> Lisa: WELL, HE IS A JOURNALIST, AUTHOR AND CORRESPONDENT FOR THE CBS NEWS
MAGAZINE, 60 MINUTES.
SCOTT PELLEY JOINS US NOW ON
NEWS 6.
WE WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOININ US HERE TODAY.
>> Julie: YES.
>> Lisa: WE KNOW IT’S NOT YOUR
FIRST TIME IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.
YOU’VE BEEN HERE MANY TIMES
COVERING THE NEWS.
NOW YOU’RE COMING BACK TO TALK
TO JOURNALISM STUDENTS AT UCF
AND RAWLINS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> IT’S A GREAT PLEASURE TO BE
HERE.
THIS IS ONE OF OUR GREAT CBS
STATIONS IN THE COUNTRY SO I’M
REALLY HONORED TO BE HERE.
>> Ginger: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
NEWS IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
OF COURSE, YOU REMEMBER WHAT
HAPPENED WITH BILL CLINTON.
HOW DO YOU FEEL THIS ONE IS
DIFFERENT?
IT DOES FEEL SO VERY DIFFERENT.
>> Reporter: WELL, IT’S ENTIRELY
DIFFERENT IN MY VIEW.
THE IMPEACHMENT OF BILL CLINTON
-- AND I WAS THE CBS CHIEF WHITE
HOUSE CORRESPONDENT DURING THAT
IMPEACHMENT, SO THIS IS MY
SECOND ONE -- THAT IMPEACHMENT
WAS AT ITS CORE ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT’S PERSONAL CONDUCT.
NOW, HE WAS IMPEACHED FOR LYING
UNDER OATH BEFORE A FEDERAL
JUDGE, BUT IT WAS ABOUT HIS
PERSONAL CONDUCT.
THE DIFFERENCE NOW IS WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP, THIS IS ABOUT
HIS ACTIONS IN OFFICE AS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND IN THE FOREIGN RELATIONS OF
THE UNITED STATES.
>> Lisa: JUST TO GIVE US A BRIEF
HISTORY BECAUSE THERE IS A BIG
DEBATE ABOUT THAT, IN TERMS OF
THE PROCESS, IS THIS PROCESS
DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT
IT WAS 25 YEARS AGO?
>> IT IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.
THE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN
CONDUCTING THEIR HEARINGS AND
REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN IN ALL OF
THOSE HEARINGS.
LET’S NOT FORGET, THERE ARE MANY
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
AND SO THEY’VE BEEN THERE FROM
DAY ONE, EVERY DAY THROUGH EVERY
WITNESS.
BUT IT HASN’T BEEN IN PUBLIC.
AND AS MANY THINGS IN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE DOES ARE
NOT IN PUBLIC.
SO SOON, IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS,
THE DEMOCRATS HAVE PLEDGED TO
OPEN THAT UP INTO PUBLIC
HEARINGS, SO WE’LL ALL KNOW A
WHOLE LOT MORE.
>> Lisa: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
ROLE OF THE MEDIA AND HOW WE
COVER THIS OR HOW YOU COVER THIS
AS A JOURNALIST.
HOW HAS THAT CHANGED?
JOURNALISTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
SOMEWHAT UNDER ATTACK SINCE THE
BEGINNING OF TIME.
>> ALWAYS.
>> Lisa: IT SEEMS THOUGH -- AND
BASED ON WHAT I’M READING IN
YOUR BOOK, BY THE WAY, "TRUTH
WORTH TELLING" -- WE’RE UNDER
ATTACK MORE THAN EVER BEFORE.
IS THAT YOUR SENSE?
HOW DO YOU GET THE TRUTH ACROSS
WHEN THERE’S SO MUCH
MISINFORMATION AND DIS
INFORMATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA
MUDDYING THE MESSAGE?
>> NEVER BEFORE HAS THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
DESCRIBED US AS THE ENEMY OF THE
PEOPLE.
JAMES MADISON WROTE IN 1800 THAT
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS THE
RIGHT THAT GUARANTEES ALL THE
OTHERS.
MADISON UNDERSTOOD IF WE COULD
SAY WHAT WE WANTED TO SAY, READ
WHAT WE WANTED TO READ, WRITE
WHAT WE WANTED TO WRITE, THEN
ALL OF THE RIGHTS IN THE BILL OF
RIGHTS WOULD BE PROTECTED.
THAT’S WHAT I’D LIKE TO TELL
AUDIENCES TODAY, THAT WE ARE NOT
THE ENEMY OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
WE’RE AN INTEGRAL PART IN THE
FUNCTIONING OF OUR GREAT
COUNTRY.
>> Julie: YOU’VE BEEN TALKING TO
JOURNALISM STUDENTS ABOUT
WANTING TO GET IN THE FIELD.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO JOURNALISM
STUDENTS AND PEOPLE LIKE US
COVERING THE NEWS AS TO HOW TO
DEAL WITH THIS AND KEEP GOING?
>> Reporter: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT THIS
ENEMY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
RHETORIC WILL DISCOURAGE YOUNG
PEOPLE FROM COMING INTO
JOURNALISM.
SO THAT’S WHAT I TRY TO TELL
THESE BRILLIANT YOUNG PEOPLE AT
UCF AND RAWLINS THAT WE ARE
INTEGRAL TO THE FUNCTIONING OF
OUR SOCIETY AND THAT THERE IS NO
DEMOCRACY WITHOUT JOURNALISM.
>> Ginger: CAN WE TALK ABOUT
YOUR BOOK FOR A LITTLE BIT NOW.
WE’VE ALL BEEN READING IT.
IT STRUCK ME, JUST THE OPENING
PAGES, IT IS ALMOST AS IF -- YOU
CAN TELL THAT YOU LOVE THIS
COUNTRY AND YOU’RE A PATRIOT.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S A LOVE
LETTER, LIKE YOU WANT THIS
COUNTRY TO SUCCEED AND BE BETTER
THAN WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
YOU KEEP THESE REPORTERS’ NOTES.
THAT IS FASCINATING.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT PROCESS.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE
GREAT THINGS ABOUT BEING A
TELEVISION JOURNALIST, AS YOU
KNOW, EVERY INTERVIEW YOU’VE
EVER DONE, EVERY PLACE YOU’VE
EVER BEEN IS ALL ON VIDEOTAPE.
SO I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK THROUGH
ALL OF THAT MATERIAL OVER YEARS
AND WRITE A NARRATIVE THAT
DESCRIBED THESE GREAT EVENTS OF
OUR TIME.
THE BOOK IS REALLY ABOUT THE
PEOPLE THAT I’VE MET IN MY
CAREER, PEOPLE WHO DISCOVERED
THE MEANING OF THEIR LIVES
DURING SOME OF THE MOST
DIFFICULT MOMENTS IN OUR
HISTORY.
>> Ginger: WHY NOW?
YOU’VE BEEN AT THIS 30-PLUS
YEARS NOW.
YOU’VE TALKED TO COUNTLESS
PEOPLE.
WHY IS NOW A GOOD TIME?
>> YOU KNOW, I JUST COULDN’T
STOP.
I SAT DOWN ONE DAY AND I THOUGHT
I WONDER IF I CAN WRITE A BOOK
AND I STARTED ENJOYING IT SO
MUCH, MY WIFE WOULD LOOK IN
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE TO SEE
WHAT I WAS UP TO.
IT’S 140,000 WORDS AND I ENJOYED
EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
>> Ginger: AND THEY’RE ALL YOUR
WORDS, TOO.
>> Lisa: IT IS FASCINATING.
YOU START OUT TALKING ABOUT 9/11
AND GO THROUGH SO MANY STORIES
YOU’VE COVERED OVER THE DECADES.
I THINK EVERYONE WHO READS IT
WILL REMEMBER OBVIOUSLY ALL
THOSE MAJOR NEWS EVENTS AND
LEARN SO MUCH FROM IT.
>> Ginger: I WILL SAY ONE MORE
THING, IF YOU CAN GET THE AUDIO
VERSION OF IT AS WELL, HEARING
YOU TELL YOUR STORIES THE WAY IT
HAPPENED, IT’S REALLY STUNNING.
YOU CAN READ IT BUT ALSO
LISTENING TO IT, IT MAYBE US
LONG FOR THE DAYS WHEN WE HEARD
YOUR VOICE EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.
>> OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Lisa: WE’RE GETTING A MAJOR