Scott Pelley: 60 Minutes and the Search for Meaning

This program is part of our Ethics and Accountability series, underwritten by the Travers Family Foundation, with additional support from the Bernard Osher Foundation for our Good Lit programs.

What does it mean to be a journalist in 2019? Scott Pelley, a longtime CBS anchor and "60 Minutes" correspondent, knows better than most. In his new book, Truth Worth Telling: A Reporter’s Search for Meaning in the Stories of Our Times, he reflects on his years of experience, what it means to report the truth, and how this era of fake news and free speech controversies is still the best time to be a reporter. Pelley's book is founded upon an eloquently simple premise: “Don’t ask the meaning of life. Life is asking, what’s the meaning of you?”

To answer this question, Pelley recounts the most formative moments of his career: standing with firefighters at the collapsing World Trade Center; advancing with American troops into combat in Afghanistan; his conversations with numerous world leaders. In moments as adrenaline inducing or heart wrenching as these, what is the duty of a journalist? How can a reporter navigate the emotional response to their experiences while also providing an unbiased and nuanced view of the situation? Join us for a conversation with the person most fit to answer these questions.

Notes

Pelley photo by Jane Pelley