All Blog Posts from Public Eye

Correspondent Mark Phillips has been at CBS News since 1982, spending time as a correspondent based in the Moscow, Rome and Washington bureaus before returning to the bureau where he started, London. Below, Mark shares some of his thoughts on why “if true…” is one of his least favorite phrases in journalism and why most of his behind-the-scenes stories contain a bit too much bathroom humor for a family Web site. Read on for more from Mark…

What do you do at CBS News?

I'm a correspondent based in London.

What single issue should be covered more at CBS News?

We have tended to cover issues only after they turn into events for the obvious reason that events are much easier to take pictures of. Arguments over policy are often interesting but are more difficult to illustrate on television, which is why the events they spawn often catch us by surprise.

Give us a great behind the scenes story.

I prefer to stay away from bathroom humor, but let's just say that there are often times when news and plumbing are not found in the same place.

Have you ever been assigned a story you objected to? How did you deal with it?

Yes. Usually by holding my nose and doing it anyway. I do have one rule though. I won't do a piece I know to be founded purely on speculation no matter who else might be reporting it. The phrase I hate more than any other in journalism is “if true...”

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Correspondent Mark Phillips has been at CBS News since 1982, based in London. He's also spent time as a correspondent in the Moscow, Rome and Washington bureaus before returning to the U.K., covering stories throughout Europe and elsewhere. Recently, he's reported on varied topics such as and how astronomers have . Check out his bio for more on Mark, and e-mail us a question if you've got one.

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