Roger Mudd

Journalist


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Roger Mudd (1928-2021) describes working for a newspaper and in radio before transitioning to television news at CBS. He describes reporting at CBS in the 1960s, covering the Civil Rights Movement, JFK's assassination, and Capitol Hill. He recalls covering Bobby Kennedy's presidential bid, and standing next to Ethel Kennedy when her husband was killed. He talks of his work on the CBS documentaries Teddy and The Selling of the Pentagon, discusses filling in for Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News, and learning that Dan Rather would be Cronkite's successor. Mudd then describes leaving CBS for NBC News, where he served as chief Washington correspondent and co-anchor with Tom Brokaw. He outlines teaching a seminar on politics and the press at Princeton University, describes his affiliation with The History Channel, and details writing his book, The Place to Be, which tells the tale of life at the Washington Bureau. He speaks of his views on ethics in journalism, shares where he was on 9/11, and offers advice to aspiring broadcast journalists. Karen Herman conducted the interview on November 18, 2011 in McLean, VA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"We all learn to depend on the picture. But I think writing makes so much difference ... it seems to me, for someone starting out, just to learn how to write would mean that you would have a respect for words, you'd have a respect for accuracy and truth, and if you brought that into television, it would begin to help."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Roger Mudd on reporting on the March on Washington
03:12
Roger Mudd on covering Bobby Kennedy's Presidential bid and standing next to Ethel Kennedy when Bobby was assassinated
07:30
Roger Mudd on "the Roger Mudd Question" - so-named when he asked Ted Kennedy why he wanted to be President
02:39
Roger Mudd on filling in for Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News
03:31
Roger Mudd on his affiliation with The History Channel
03:29
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early years and influences; on enlisting in the Army; on attending college and graduate school in history; on working in the newspaper world and becoming news director at radio station WRNL
On his broadcast voice; on transitioning to television news; on Howard K. Smith hiring him at CBS News; on Walter Cronkite getting hired at CBS and his competition at NBC; on trying to get pieces onto Cronkite's show and Cronkite killing a story on Ronald Reagan
On the process of reporting at CBS in the 1960s; on reporting on and writing broadcasts on the Civil Rights Movement
On the access he was granted to Congress; on covering Washington D.C. in the 1970s
On covering JFK's assassination and the Cuban Missile Crisis

Chapter 2

On covering Bobby Kennedy's Presidential bid and standing next to Ethel Kennedy when Bobby was assassinated
On CBS coverage of the Vietnam War and Watergate; on "Teddy" a CBS documentary on Ted Kennedy; on "the Roger Mudd Question" - so-named when he asked Ted Kennedy why he wanted to be President
On "The Selling of the Pentagon" documentary for CBS Reports; on working with CBS' Fred Friendly; on filling in for Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News; on Cronkite's retirement and Dan Rather replacing Cronkite as anchor
On leaving CBS for NBC to become Chief Washington Correspondent; on co-anchoring the news with Tom Brokaw

Chapter 3

On leaving the NBC co-anchor position; on moderating Meet the Press; on working on the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour
On teaching a seminar on Politics and the Press at Princeton University; on teaching at his Alma Mater
On his affiliation with the History Channel; on then-current projects and the Roger Mudd Ethics Center; on his view of ethics in journalism
On where he was on 9/11; on covering Barry Goldwater's Presidential Campaign; on writing a book about the Washington News Bureau: "The Place to Be"
On what TV news owes to the public; on advice to aspiring broadcast journalists; on how he'd like to be remembered
Shows

CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite

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Roger Mudd on Walter Cronkite getting hired at CBS and his competition at NBC; on trying to get pieces onto Cronkite's show
04:41
Roger Mudd on filling in for Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News
03:08

CBS News

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Roger Mudd on Howard K. Smith hiring him at CBS News; on reporting on the Hill
02:53
Roger Mudd on covering JFK's assassination for CBS News
06:45

CBS Reports: "The Selling of the Pentagon"

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Roger Mudd on "The Selling of the Pentagon" documentary for CBS Reports
11:01

Meet the Press

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Roger Mudd on moderating NBC's Meet the Press
01:56
Topics

9/11

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Roger Mudd on where he was on 9/11
02:04

Civil Rights Movement

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Roger Mudd on reporting on the Civil Rights Movement for CBS News (including the March on Washington)
12:35

JFK Assassination and Funeral

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Roger Mudd on covering JFK's assassination for CBS News
06:57

Memorable Moments on Television

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Roger Mudd on reporting on the passage of the Civil Rights Bill
01:29
Roger Mudd on covering Bobby Kennedy's Presidential bid and standing next to Ethel Kennedy when Bobby was assassinated
07:30

Richard M. Nixon

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Roger Mudd on CBS coverage of Watergate
02:17

Vietnam War

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Roger Mudd on CBS coverage of the Vietnam War
01:55

War

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Roger Mudd on CBS coverage of the Vietnam War
01:55

We Considered

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Roger Mudd on reporting on the passage of the Civil Rights Bill
01:29

We Cried

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Roger Mudd on covering Bobby Kennedy's Presidential bid and standing next to Ethel Kennedy when Bobby was assassinated
07:30
Professions

Anchor

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Roger Mudd on filling in for Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News
03:08

Correspondent

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Roger Mudd on the process of reporting at CBS in the 1960s
02:35

Journalists & News Producers

View Profession
Roger Mudd on the process of reporting at CBS in the 1960s
02:35
Roger Mudd on filling in for Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News
03:08
Roger Mudd on his view of ethics in journalism
03:17
Roger Mudd on what TV news owes to the public
03:35
Roger Mudd on advice to aspiring broadcast journalists
01:25
Genres

News and Documentary

View Genre
Roger Mudd on Walter Cronkite getting hired at CBS and his competition at NBC; on trying to get pieces onto Cronkite's show
09:11
Roger Mudd on reporting on the passage of the Civil Rights Bill
01:29
Roger Mudd on covering JFK's assassination for CBS News
06:57
Roger Mudd on CBS coverage of Watergate
02:17
Roger Mudd on "The Selling of the Pentagon" documentary for CBS Reports
11:01
Roger Mudd on covering Bobby Kennedy's Presidential bid and assassination
07:54
Roger Mudd on filling in for Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News
03:08
Roger Mudd on moderating NBC's Meet the Press
01:56
Roger Mudd on working on the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour
03:28
People

Tom Brokaw

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Roger Mudd on co-anchoring NBC News with Tom Brokaw
01:48

Connie Chung

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Roger Mudd on Dan Rather and Connie Chung as co-anchors
00:36

Walter Cronkite

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Roger Mudd on Walter Cronkite getting hired at CBS and his competition at NBC; on trying to get pieces onto Cronkite's show
09:11
Roger Mudd on Walter Cronkite killing one of his stories on Ronald Reagan
02:57
Roger Mudd on learning of Walter Cronkite's retirement
04:57

Fred Friendly

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Roger Mudd on CBS' Fred Friendly wanting Mudd to cover the Civil Rights Bill
02:10
Roger Mudd on working with CBS' Fred Friendly
02:36

Murray Fromson

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Roger Mudd on news producer Murray Fromson and covering Barry Goldwater's Presidential Campaign
03:18

Lyndon B. Johnson

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Roger Mudd on covering JFK's assassination for CBS News
04:58

Robert F. Kennedy

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Roger Mudd on covering Bobby Kennedy's Presidential bid and assassination
07:54

John F. Kennedy

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Roger Mudd on covering JFK's assassination for CBS News
06:57

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Roger Mudd on reporting on the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Bill
06:02

Dan Rather

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Roger Mudd on learning Dan Rather, not he, would succeed Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS News
03:24
Roger Mudd on his relationship with Dan Rather
05:27
Roger Mudd on Dan Rather and Connie Chung as co-anchors
00:36
Roger Mudd on his opinion of Dan Rather
02:35

Ronald Reagan

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Roger Mudd on Walter Cronkite killing one of his stories on Ronald Reagan
02:57

Richard S. Salant

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Roger Mudd on "The Selling of the Pentagon" documentary for CBS Reports
04:06

Bob Schieffer

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Roger Mudd on Bob Scheiffer wanting to get material on CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite
01:42
Roger Mudd on Bob Scheiffer's first time on CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite
00:28

Daniel Schorr

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Roger Mudd on CBS coverage of Watergate
02:17
Roger Mudd on "the Roger Mudd Question" - so-named when he asked Ted Kennedy why he wanted to be President
02:39

Howard K. Smith

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Roger Mudd on Howard K. Smith hiring him at CBS News
02:53

Lesley Stahl

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Roger Mudd on CBS coverage of Watergate
02:17

Frank Stanton

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Roger Mudd on the fallout from "The Selling of the Pentagon" documentary for CBS Reports
06:55

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