FOLKS, MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT IS A
FORMER CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT AND AUTHOR OF THE
NOVEL "SAVAGE NEWS."
PLEASE WELCOME, JESSICA YELLIN!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: HELLO!
HELLO!
>> Stephen: IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU FACE TO FACE FOR THE FIRST
TIME.
YOU KNOW, I'VE KNOWN YOUR WORK FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
I'M A NEWS JUNKY AND, OF COURSE, I FOLLOWED YOUR REPORTS FROM CNN
AND WHOLES WHO ELSE DID YOU WORK FOR BEFORE THAT --
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A NEW BOOK CALLED "SAVAGE NEWS," BASED
UPON YOUR EXPERIENCE FOR 20 YEARS IN THE FRONT LINES OF
CABLE NEWS INFOTAINMENT.
I LOVE CABLE NEWS.
I WATCH IT ALL THE TIME.
>> SO DO I.
>> Stephen: BUT WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE IN CABLE NEWS?
WHAT KIND OF NOTES DO YOU GET FROM PRODUCERS AS A REPORTER?
>> OKAY.
SO THE RAISIEST NOTES I'VE -- THE CRAZIEST NOTES I'VE GOTTEN
IS, JESSICA, IT APPEARS YOUR HAIR IS 1/8-INCH LONGER ON ONE
SIDE THAN THE OTHER.
DO WE THINK WE'RE TILTING OUR HEAD OR OUR HAIRCUT IS UNEVEN?
>> Stephen: WHICH IS IT, JESSICA?
DON'T AVOID THE QUESTION.
>> IF YOU LOOK, MY HAIR LOOKS UNEVEN.
ONE IS BLIND MY SHOULDERS.
>> Stephen: THAT WAS APP ACTUAL NOTE YOU GOT, YOUR HAIR
IS 1/8-INCH?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
I WAS ALSO TOLD I HAVE A BUILDING PROBLEM.
>> A BUILDING PROBLEM?
YEAH.
THAT MEANS YOU LOOK NOT CONVINCING IN FRONT OF
BUILDINGS.
>> Stephen: NOT CONVINCING WHAT?
WE MISTAKE YOU FOR THE BUILDING?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> I WORKED THAT OVER SO MANY TIMES IN MY HEAD, I THINK IT'S
BECAUSE I'M PETITE WHICH IS A POLITE WAY OF SAYING SHORT, AND
IN THE MIND'S EYE OF THE PRODUCERS, THEY THOUGHT OF ME AS
LITTLE SO NOTFALL OF GRAVIDAS.
BUT THAT'S NOT HOW ANYTHING LOOKS ON TV.
>> Stephen: BUT EVERYONE IS SMALLER THAN A BUILDING.
>> THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MY COMEBACK.
>> Stephen: LOWER THE CAMERA, I WILL LOOK LIKE A GIANT.
>> I WISH I COULD HAVE CALLED YOU FOR MY RESPONSE.
>> Stephen: YOU ALSO HAVE KIND OF A FAMOUS MOMENT, WHEN WOLF
BLITZER, DURING THE 2008 CAMPAIGN, I THINK IT WAS, HE HAD
A HOLOGRAM, HE HAD REPORTERS APPEAR VIA HOLOGRAM IN THE
SITUATION NOOK -- >> ROOM.
>> Stephen: -- AND I BELIEVE YOU WERE THE FIRST OF THESE
REPORTERS TO APPEAR VIA HOLOGRAM.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO REPORT FROM THE PHANTOM ZONE?
>> SO I WAS IN GRANT PARK THE NIGHT BARACK OBAMA WAS ELECTED
PRESIDENT AND HE BEAMED ME FROM GRANT PARK INTO THE STUDIO IN
NEW YORK.
I ASKED THEM, I WANTED TO SAY, WOLF, YOU'RE OUR ONLY HOPE, AS A
NOD TO "STAR WARS."
>> Stephen: SURE.
THEY WOULD DON'T IT?
>> THEY SAID, NO, PLAY IT STRAIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU PLAY A HOLOGRAM STRAIGHT, BUT THEY
WANTED ME TO DO THAT.
>> Stephen: TELL ME, IS THIS THE FIRST NOVEL YOU'VE WRITTEN?
>> YES, AND PROBABLY THE LAST.
ETH VERY HARD TO WRITE A NOVEL.
I'M SORRY, SHOULD I NOT SAY THAT?
>> Stephen: NO, DON'T SAY THAT.
NO, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST OF MANY.
IT'S GOING TO SELL SO MANY COPIES!
>> I LEGAL WANTED TO GIVE PEOPLE A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IT'S LIKE ON
THIS SIDE OF THE CAMERA AND OF WHAT GOES ON INSIDE THE NEWS
BUSINESS.
BUT I WROTE A NOVEL, MY FIRST NOVEL, BECAUSE I THOUGHT IF I
WANT TO HAVE FUN AND BE LARGER THAN LIFE IT SHOULD BE FICTION.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU'RE TELLING TALES ON REAL PEOPLE IN
THE NEWS AND YOU DON'T WANT TO NAME NAMES.
>> I DID BUT I DIDN'T.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE BUSTED.
THERE'S A SCENE IN A BOOK WHERE THE WHOLE WASHINGTON, D.C.
BUREAU FREAKS OUT BECAUSE THE BREAKING NEWS BANNER HAS CRASHED
ON TELEVISION AND THEY CAN'T BE LIVE ON AIR WITHOUT THE WORDS
BREAKING NEWS, SO EVERYONE RUSHES INTO THE CONTROL ROOM TO
SEE IF THEY CAN SUMMON THE WORDS.
AFTER THAT THEY DECLARED HENCE HENCEFORTH EVERYTHING IN
WASHINGTON IS ALWAYS BREAKING NEWS TO THE BANNER IS ALWAYS UP.
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.
NO, IT'S NOT.
>> Stephen: THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S NOT BREAKING NEWS NOW.
IT ALWAYS SAYS BREAKING NEWS.
>> IT DOES.
I'M MAKING A COMMENT ON THAT IN A SATIRICAL WAY IN THE NOVEL
THAT'S NOW COME TRUE.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I KNOW THE
PROBLEM.
"SAVAGE NEWS" IS AVAILABLE NOW.
JESSICA YELLIN, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.