One thing young people have to always keep in mind when deciding what they want to do with their lives is, is it fun? Is it something that I'm interested in? Is it something I enjoy?
The Iraq war was fought by one-half of one percent of us. And unless we were part of that small group or had a relative who was, we went about our lives as usual most of the time: no draft, no new taxes, no changes. Not so for the small group who fought the war and their families.
We're far from perfect. It's a human enterprise.
The best thing about the Congress is that it is the last place where you can have face-to-face interviews and interaction with the newsmakers themselves.
There's fierce competition between all the networks to get the guest who can bring the most pertinent information about whatever the story of the moment happens to be.
And I came away from that experience, and it was a very difficult experience - I came to understand that you have to practice at being a good father and practice at being a good husband, just as you have to practice at being a good journalist.
For sure, the American people have access to more information now than any other people who have ever lived on earth. And I think we do a pretty good job of sorting out what's important.
Nowadays I'm not even sure if newspapers take into account whether a person is a good writer.
I think journalism is a great way to do public service, to have an impact on your community.
I've had a lot of fun, and when I talk to kids in journalism schools, I say, look, I know what the journalism teachers tell you that this is a great way to perform public service and all that, but I say the main reason, if you decide what you want to do is be a reporter, the main reason you want to do it is because it's just so much fun.
But if you don't enjoy doing something, you'll be miserable no matter how much money you make.
I can't think of any other job in journalism where the newsmakers come to you.
I always thought writing was the foundation and the basis for journalism in the same way being able to draw is the foundation for art.
Had there been a reporter along with Lieutenant Calley when he massacred those people in Vietnam, I think that probably wouldn't have happened.
I had - all my life, everybody who knew me thought that I would probably grow up to be a reporter, a newspaper reporter because we didn't have much television in those days.
I used to be a print reporter.
It's getting the right person that's the challenge.
I mean, you know, God knows everything, but I'm not quite that good. Every once in a while, something will slip by me.
People are more sophisticated in the way they go about dealing with the press.
They've asked me to do this temporarily. I don't know what temporarily means. Life is temporary.
