Obviously I was well aware that I had what people consider a privileged upbringing. My mom was never a bake-cookies sort of mom. I really had no reins whatsoever.
I have a friend – I send her one text and I get 20 texts back. Guys don’t want a million texts. It’s exhausting.
If someone knows me and likes me or my work, they’re more likely to allow me to tell their story. But it also cuts the other way.
I understand why people might be interested. But I just don’t talk about my personal life. It’s a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life.
Not to sound too Dr. Phil all of a sudden, but I think the key to survival is to embrace one’s past and to not run away from it. And to come to some sort of relationship with it or understanding of it.
When a big event happens, people turn on to CNN, not only because they know there will be people there covering an event on the ground, but because they know we’re going to cover it in a way that’s non-partisan, that’s not left or right.
Our skin is very thin. It doesn’t take much for us to jump off a ledge or to kill one another. It can happen very, very quickly.
I tend to relate more to people on television who are just themselves, for good or for bad, than I do to someone who I believe is putting on some sort of persona. The anchorman on ‘The Simpsons’ is a reasonable facsimile of some anchors who have that problem.
I think it’s a good thing that there are bloggers out there watching very closely and holding people accountable. Everyone in the news should be able to hold up to that kind of scrutiny. I’m for as much transparency in the newsgathering process as possible.
I suppose if you’ve never bitten your nails, there isn’t any way to explain the habit. It’s not enjoyable, really, but there is a certain satisfaction – pride in a job well done.
I’ve always loved reporting from the field most of all. There’s something about doing live TV and being there as it happens that’s always appealed to me. I think there’s great value to bearing witness to these events as they’re actually happening.
I’ve always giggled like a 13-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber meet and greet. There’s nothing I can do about it but I’ve never not been able to stop.