>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
MY NEXT GUEST IS THE FORMER ANCHOR OF "CBS EVENING NEWS,"
AND A CORRESPONDENT ON "60 MINUTES."
HIS NEW BOOK IS CALLED "TRUTH WORTH TELLING."
PLEASE WELCOME OUR FRIEND, MR. SCOTT PELLEY.
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>>INGS THAT THE BEST BAND IN TELEVISION!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
IT.
AND NOW IT HAS BEEN REPORTED AS NEWS.
IT'S OFFICIAL RIGHT NOW.
>> I SHOULD HAVE HAD A BAND AT THE "EVENING NEWS."
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW WHAT?
>> NOW I THINK OF IT.
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW WHAT?
NORAH IS TAKING OVER.
WOULD YOU ADVISE HER TO GET A BAND?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND AN AUDIENCE.
YOU HAVE THE BEST AUDIENCE IN TELEVISION.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: SO IMPORTANT-- SO
FEW-- HERE'S THE THING ABOUT YOU-- SO FEW NEWSMEN KNOW THE
VALUE OF PANDERING.
THAT'S THE FIRST-- THAT'S THE FIRST-- THAT'S THE FIRST STEP IN
BEING A GOOD NEWSMAN.
IT IS-- IT IS-- IT IS A STORIED POSITION.
NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THE ANCHOR OF THE CBS EVENING
NEWS.
DO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ANY VIA TO NORAH?
HOW DO YOU DO THAT JOB?
>> NORAH AND I HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT THIS, AND I'M NOT
AT ALL SURPRISED SHE WAS WAY AHEAD OF ME.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ANCHOR.
IT'S ABOUT THE 250 PEOPLE WHO PUT THE BROADCAST ON EVERY DAY.
IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OVERSEAS RISKING THEIR LIVES TO
COVER THE NEWS.
IT'S ABOUT THE--
THANK YOU.
IT'S ABOUT ALL THE ARTISTS, THE PHOTOGRAPHERS, THE SOUNDMEN--
YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
IT'S ALL ABOUT ME.
( LAUGHTER )
EVERY NIGHT.
I'M SO HAPPY-- I'M SO HAPPY FOR THEM.
>> AND SO THE BEST THING THE ANCHOR CAN DO IS TO SEE THOSE
PEOPLE, ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE PEOPLE, CHEER THOSE PEOPLE ON,
BECAUSE IT MAKES THE BROADCAST SO MUCH BETTER.
>> Stephen: YOU LED THE EVENING NEWS BROADCAST, THE VERY
FIRST BROADCAST THAT DID YOU, YOU LED WITH THE WARS IN
AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ.
WHEREAS, EVERYBODY ELSE THAT NIGHT LED WITH NEWS ABOUT
ANTHONY WEANER.
>> AND YOU MADE A JOKE ABOUT IT THAT NIGHT.
>> Stephen: THAT SOUNDS LIKE ME.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE ME.
WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU TO DO THAT DIFFERENTLY?
>> YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME, MY THINKING WAS, "WHO'S ANTHONY?
?" HE'S NEVER PASSED A BILL IN
CONGRESS.
NATIONAL POLICY IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE IF HE IS HOUNDED OUT OF
OFFICE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THAT DAY, WE HAD AMERICANS BEING KILLED IN
AFGHANISTAN.
NOW, WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT HAPPENED THAT DAY?
( APPLAUSE )
WELL, I MEAN, THAT MAKES ME THINK WHAT-- WHAT DO YOU THINK
IS THE-- THE IMPORTANT UNDER-REPORTED STORY RIGHT NOW?
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT CONSUMES-- THE PRESIDENT IS IMPORTANT, AND
HE'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT, WHOEVER IS IN THAT POSITION.
BUT OUR PRESIDENT PARTICULARLY CONSUMES ALL THE AIR IN THE
NEWSROOM.
WHAT-- WHAT-- WHAT ARE WE NOT HEARING ABOUT BECAUSE OF WHAT'S
BEING REPORTED RIGHT NOW, IN YOUR OPINION?
>> YOU KNOW, TO BE FRANK, I THINK HE IS PART OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT STORY THAT WE'RE NOT SAYING ENOUGH ABOUT, AND THAT IS
DISINFORMATION THAT HAS BECOME PREVALENT THROUGHOUT OUR
SOCIETY.
I MEAN, WE LIVE IN A TIME--
DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE HAD AN AUDIENCE AT THE EVENING NEWS.
( LAUGHTER )
HUMAN HISTORY HAS MORE INFORMATION BEEN AVAILABLE TO
MORE PEOPLE.
THAT'S A GREAT THING.
BUT NEVER IN HUMAN HISTORY HAS MORE BAD INFORMATION BEEN
AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE.
THAT IS A BIG CHANGE IN OUR GENERATION, FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION, A BIG CHANGE FOR AMERICA.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOLID, RELIABLE INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE
DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR COUNTRY.
AND SO MUCH--
SO MUCH OF WHAT WE ARE READING AND SEEING IS A CYNICAL ATTEMPT
BY HOSTILE FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS OR SELF-DEALING POLITICIANS TO
POISON THAT LANDSCAPE.
WHAT'S THE MOST DANGEROUS THING TO A DEMOCRACY?
IS IT TERRORISM?
WAR?
MAYBE ANOTHER GREAT RECESSION?
I DON'T, SO.
I THINK THE BIGGEST DANGER TO A DEMOCRACY IS POISONING THE
INFORMATION.
>> Stephen: THAT WE CAN ONLY TRULY--
( APPLAUSE )
I BELIEVE AMERICA-- AMERICA IS GREAT ENOUGH AND STRONG ENOUGH
THAT WE CAN ONLY DESTROY OURSELVESES FROM WITHIN.
AND MISINFORMATION IS ONE WAY FOR US TO DO THAT.
WE-- YOU HAVE A NEW BOOK.
IT'S CALLED "TRUTH WORTH TELLING."
HOW DO WE COMBAT THIS MISINFORMATION?
>> YOU KNOW, OUR AUDIENCES HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH IT.
THEY HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
THEY HAVE TO BE SKEPTICAL.
THEY HAVE TO GO TO-- THIS SOUNDS A LITTLE SELF-SERVING, BUT THEY
HAVE TO GO TO BRAND NAMES THAT THEY CAN TRUST.
MAYBE THAT'S CBS NEWS.
MAYBE IT'S THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS, OR THE "CHICAGO TRIBUNE,"
OR ABC NEWS.
BUT WHAT YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GO TO ONE OF THOSE SOURCES IS THAT
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN JOURNALISM, BEING
SUPERVISED BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 20, 30, 40
YEARS, AND THERE ARE ENORMOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR THEM IF THEY
GET SOMETHING WRONG.
SO THEY'RE TRYING LIKE HELL TO GET IT RIGHT.
>> Stephen: BUT SOME RANDOM PERSON TWEETING GETS SOMETHING
WRONG, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GOT INFORMATION, THERE ARE NO
RAMIFICATIONS BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOW WHO THAT PERSON
IS.
>> EXACTLY.
AND WHAT THE AUDIENCE CAN DO IS SEE SOMETHING ON THE INTERNET
AND ASK THEMSELVESES, RIGHT, THE WAY WE DO AS JOURNALISTS.
"WAIT A MINUTE.
SERIOUSLY?
I'M GOING TO SEE WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS WRITING ABOUT THAT."
AND SEE IF OTHER RELIABLE NEWS SOURCES YOU KNOW OF ARE
REPORTING THE STORY IN THE SAME WAY.
IT'S EASIER TO DO THAT THAN EVER.
BUT I DON'T FEEL ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE TAKING THAT RESPONSIBILITY
SERIOUSLY.
THE FOUNDERS WERE COUNTING ON US TO BE ACTIVE, PROACTIVE CITIZENS
OF THIS COUNTRY.
THAT'S WHY THEY GAVE US THE POWER.
BUT THERE'S A RESPONSIBILITY, AND IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF
WORK.
>> Stephen: WELL, ONE OF THE WAYS YOU APPROACH YOUR
REPORTING, I ADMIRE, AND IT'S ONE OF THE POSTURES YOU USE IN
REPORTING.
YOU HAVE A TENDENCY TO PUT YOUR GLASSES...
>> UH-HUH.
>> Stephen: ...IN YOUR MOUTH.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> I DON'T THINK SO.
>> Stephen: WHY DO YOU DO THIS?
OR ARE YOUR GLASS JUST SO DELICIOUS-- DO YOU HAVE FLAVORED
GLASSES?
>> I'VE HAD-- I'VE HAD PEOPLE SAY, "WHAT A RIDICULOUS
AFFECTATION."
I CAN'T SEE.
THAT'S MY PROBLEM.
I CAN'T SEE.
IT'S NOT AN AFFECTATION.
I NEED THESE THINGS.
I WENT TO READ -- >> Stephen: TO READ?
>> TO READ.
TO WHAT'S IN FRONT OF ME.
I CAN SEE YOU.
I CAN SEE JON AND THE BAND.
BUT IF-- I'M HOPELESS WITH WHAT'S RIGHT HERE ON THE DESK.
SO ON THE EVENING NEWS I WAS CONSTANTLY PUTTING MY GLASSES
ON, READING SOMETHING, TALKING TO SOMEONE, PUTTING THEM BACK
ON, ET CETERA.
I WENT TO BED ON MY 50th BIRTHDAY WITH 20-20 VISION.
I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING, GONE, BLIND AS A BAT.
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> SO I WEAR THESE ALL THE TIME BECAUSE I-- YOU WEAR GLASSES.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: MORE WRIST?
>> YEAH, YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE-- IT'S ACTUALLY... LIKE THAT.
A LITTLE FLAIR.
THAT'S IT!
THAT IS IT!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
TELLING" COMES OUT NEXT TUESDAY.
SCOTT PELLEY, EVERYONE!
WE'LL BE BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY GLOBAL SUPER GROUP BTS.