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Inside the World of Network News

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  • Description

    Former ABC News President David Westin on his new book, “Exit Interview.”

  • Duration 7:40
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-- -- -- -- -- -- It's a big challenge although -- if you look at today I mean ABC for simpler evening news gets about eight million people watching night which is a fair number of people compared anything else.

Now that means that -- you know 200 and -- who were not watching the definition right.

-- the supper and -- watch it at the same time.

The material being reported it shows showed up on the Internet and George Stephanopoulos your friend -- it.

And Jake Tapper -- it and it gets broader rounds -- you may be consuming effectively.

Material off the you -- -- even if you're not watching news itself.

So are you guys and Iran does your point I'm -- I put dancer first and Good Morning America and on when that in world news yet it was my decision so I would say do you know why can't we be -- Balance broad -- to myself what is going on the -- sure.

And Charlie gets that should be done Brian Williams for awhile that are whenever you have provide a year we were number one.

And then slip back number -- So we ask ourselves that question you know -- -- your news is a question again in the audience you wanna get -- bigger audiences can't at the same time you wanna put on really good programs so it's it's it's a more complicated.

I don't senate and in -- return on his own.

-- -- -- No he came to New Orleans really wanna retire and I tried talk about it aren't and he persuaded -- there really was time from ago and that's -- Diane.

And -- wanted to job and at level one.

It's a great job I mean the evening news you even with it's as somewhat smaller audience that's a great job because you get to do -- synopsis of the day's news every night at this -- eight million people that's pretty good source should have solo.

Asian -- and an insult us through.

That -- and -- bonus.

-- -- -- So our -- -- different.

No -- it's not a departure comes -- goes you know psychologically.

And a yeah others -- the pursue a prestige to it that's right but but but -- always -- that -- was -- focus economic -- when they're reaching rather with a number one number two.

-- -- Because your membership.

And well look at blizzard there -- always wondered number one's.

There went to work entered at number one section -- our Clark Rumsfeld.

Federalists and what do you don't -- I'm starting up little company with the sister -- a much of newspaper companies to.

Go to the Internet and say can we license content to -- because.

Me again people say they don't read newspapers but an awful lot of what they get off the Internet enough of social media -- from -- -- originally.

And we need to make sure that some of that money is making -- -- ministers strikers that can keep -- reporters.

Lessons and under our -- Mortars and vital and accident ignorant and looks like there's a -- looked like about thirty year old them a lot older than thirty you're -- Semel got a but thousands are gonna it's all an -- short I don't -- now.

The video of the generic Eyewitness News eligible do -- -- All micro desires of our -- known Dan rather and prayers.

And -- thought its older than it is primarily a phony.

And -- and always thought.

And -- -- knew how are you felt.

A Boston news about what is political frustration really wore.

When he did donors -- Jennifer's friends that he would meet.

But he's he's said doctor apartments -- which is obvious.

So there was a clear in my view Claire.

And I have no dog and -- little care.

A clear left leaning bias liberal bias and -- I actually character has and I sort of part of what do.

Now I don't actually.

But but if you do then that's a problem because the question -- what people feel in their hearts of course is Obama right now blowing snow on notice that -- that -- -- for years and I know that but.

But is that the job is to try to report the news straightforwardly and if people believe there's a -- that's real problem we -- -- gets that issue.

Every single day I mean that's one of these I talk about in the book.

People are aware in the newsroom of the claim of bias and it tends to be a liberal bias Clinton there are some -- claimed by us in the direction of overwhelming liberal.

And we fought against that -- single day and tried to include people who newsroom who would stand upn and argue and say there's a different point of view.

Because it is you don't whatever you want you're going to biased when we're in -- -- reporting I never stolen -- appear which in people's souls.

I'm word more but with their behavior can affect you missiles -- the two ministers.

So what role.

And -- present in newscast.

To sell advertise and -- you need money in order to do the work and for example a huge number of pharmaceutical.

-- Well and asked to turn a bit but by that button in the audience and the demographics it's in the aging audience as you pointed out that that affects the the advertisement debt.

But but but one -- that I certainly learned and embraced is if you don't -- the business part of you don't care -- the journalism I became very impatient people who just wanted to talk about doing great journalism and now we're at the money.

Because you need money in order to do really good work you need to hire reporters who have beats and sources things.

So I I always has said we've got to run this and businesses well -- as as a public trust.

-- Raton for some drugs of some average consumer.

Side slam.

There was -- demand and a couple of issues -- I don't -- or else I'm still I'm like autism.

And role of primary sole agent that on average Warner.

Promised pledged to oneself Englander about.

Plays -- vaccination plan.

Women and children -- us.

Never mind your -- and has been fairly reported on number -- here's programs because of the role pharmaceutical leveraged.

Yeah I can tell you -- I was involved and so are reporting on autism and for Merrill saw a minute that's on the I know a little bit about not as much as you pro but I know little bit about -- read that.

-- -- ministry report did not like that.

At the time.

There was never an intermission.

Through the sales department or from any or advertising about that at all never enough there were other circumstances where we got leaned on heart by advertisers.

And I pushed back but we have leaned on heart and I would tell you yes they Lehman's I never heard a peep about it not a whisper -- -- an admiral.

Well I can tell -- -- in total -- -- what we did internally is really reviewed the medical literature is best we could.

To see whether there was really evidence of that connection because obviously.

Autism is a huge problem this country and it seems to be -- epidemic earlier today and -- -- -- -- July but there's there's so there's so -- -- -- -- -- About becomes overwhelming chest and the -- but the question for me down was always -- to read director research dollars.

Is are enough evidence there to really direct a lot of research dollars in that direction rather than someplace else.

But but it but I can tell you we never heard anything and I never let it influence in my decision making I read as this -- -- medical literature tried to address that issue now about thirty seconds or sharing.

My wife -- -- woman the whole world.

She's the best from a lot of American premiere fourteen years or ten years and -- and she had great influence on your in his book yes -- -- -- any without her support.

Not not a bit of I sincere thank you and I -- some element of -- and when to shut down all the way but elsewhere and what I went through a few tough times myself and I just I sympathize with you know it feels like hope -- embarked -- so thank you -- they would do I think it's you know -- story behind the -- what's going on.

Really and -- a newsroom.

-- David no less so on the national good guys and news.

Honda weren't meant David -- and -- -- -- -- -- the book is entitled accident him.

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