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Former ABC News President David Westin discusses the difficulties of breaking news in today’s society.
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Doctoral program David Westin one Nationalists and they Dermot -- going to be here you know.
Good.
-- -- On -- cattle -- -- and -- and talks.
Somewhat best friends are on fox and I.
So all and what does sector and of -- of some they do it is cooperation and labor -- -- I started actually wearing them.
You Iowa wanted to do that and the theory that when people leave their likely reveal more honest about what they saw the good and the bad and it's good -- -- sort of what their perspective was of this sort of version of my own personal accidentally severed your conduct an accident and -- -- you heard would come docket no we do it HR would do it I don't theory that they went -- it is honest with me you don't neutral third party wanna be.
But people are fired.
No.
-- of the school left on their own bullish order -- why this exactly right and just get a very broader -- the institution in which are we doing differently what could be better.
Salt on.
What was different about billion and -- president.
-- -- discovered before -- became an expression.
But it doesn't realize you're gonna you know I thought I -- the job it into the job at all until I actually -- well yeah I'd been -- lawyer for the company and then I'd been in charge of the network so -- -- with news alive.
But once you're actually in the chair having to make the decisions and they're turning to -- do we report this do we not report this to rescind this reporter announcement has -- -- -- -- -- special it's very very different.
And he -- you don't have enough information you gotta make a decision right away you know you might be wrong sometimes you get it right sometimes you don't get it right.
So it's a very different feeling senator job as a lawyer -- -- Always say no.
And well that's a good point done in general I think lawyers have managed for almost zero risk now and if you're running -- news organization you can't to manage for your risk and you just -- here -- -- reporting -- And so you have to learn how to take certain on risk.
So alone.
-- when I have people all their books.
Because all -- complicated lives.
I don't read your books and here's why don't wanted to make me wondering.
So we're looking at your door Qatar.
Announced he says horrible self about.
Anybody of their -- Diane disorder.
Or perhaps soon the guy runs like Bob -- Or even my friend -- shovel topless.
I mean on them all live on a book the pelican -- -- liberalism boards are gonna blurred land -- From George Stephanopoulos and from a stronger.
Yeah I'm sorry done this is not a kiss and tell us autocratic that are written that book committee were sold -- -- anybody and it's like I try to be really honest I -- myself a bit frankly -- I think I deserved it and I try to be honest about the way it works but the reason I wrote this is the first job I ever had journalist -- running ABC news which is not a typical route to one of these jobs.
And so I came in really is an outsider and I was challenged and while you respect skeptical -- -- really doubted me.
Understandably.
And I thought -- be good for other people who -- fortunate newsroom the way I hadn't to get -- -- the way I sought behind the scenes it will really goes on the good and the bad.
And -- works.
So when -- took overnight united settlement.
Now partners.
Correct -- I'm wrong.
Probably had a greater role as soon.
Canada is now on yeah I would say that's right Fox News and MSNBC were -- -- -- three months old you know they've basically didn't exist.
And an Internet was really -- in its infancy with -- we started ABC news dot come first euros there to -- -- -- we didn't even have a website -- there.
So there were there was an explosion over the some fourteen years I was there of new news outlets and that obviously detracted some.
From the broadcast networks at the same time you look at it today than broadcast networks are still a lot bigger than anybody else's they're still the big the big dog on the block but the demographic of people -- and older.
Yes there's -- about it all.
Although you know it's not getting old very fast it's about it's relatively stable in terms of how old people are there watching it what happens is people tend to get all -- the -- watch more news that's been true for generations.
Alone I like most people.
Tend to think the world revolves around.
-- warming and of course now known.
Well -- and I arrived on saddling enforcement but -- take your frame and I'll I'm not afraid of dying.
And I'm not afraid of almost any of and I am.
Friends and I'm gonna go five minutes talking about myself -- -- so much as the name really respect and occasionally used.
On -- relate everything to myself I don't want to know or additional.
Undergoes I don't like him but him.
-- three years.
