The Public Eye Chat With…Byron Pitts
Brian Montopoli: Regarding the "Evening News," do you think that it has changed significantly – and if so how has it changed – since Katie Couric came on board?
to listen to the interview.
Byron Pitts: I think it's changed significantly…the "Evening News" has changed and will continue to change. And I think in many ways change is good. For one, just from the historic significance of having the first woman anchor of a major network nightly newscast is huge. It's significant. I'm a parent. I have daughters. And I like the idea that my daughters can watch the nightly news and see someone of their same sex presenting the news and presenting the possibilities they may have as young women. I think it's significant in our society that positions of leadership in our country have always been primarily held by white men. And so the notion that I'm part of a network that broke that mold by having the first woman I feel great about. And I hope it's a sign of things to come, not just at CBS News but in broadcast news across the board.
Brian Montopoli: Does the show feel different to you than it did – is there a different sensibility that reflects Katie? Not necessarily the fact that she's a woman, but her personality? Or the fact that she's a woman?
Byron Pitts: I think also her age. She's younger than the anchors of yesteryear. I can't think of any particular – I only have one example. I remember early on, a few months ago, we did a story about one of the elite schools, maybe it was Harvard, doing away with its early admissions program. And I know that Katie, not as a woman, but as a parent of daughters approaching college age, that story was significant to her. I'm someone with children approaching college age. It was significant to me. I'm not sure that in the era of Bob Schieffer or Dan Rather that that story would have registered to have been a piece in the broadcast in a given night.
I think whoever sits in that chair, they bring their life experience to the job. And most of the anchors of yesteryear are grandparents. And they have a different view of the world, God bless them. And so I think that Katie as a woman now 50 years old I believe, brings her life experience and her sensibility to the broadcast, and I think that's a good thing.
Brian Montopoli: In the past when we've talked, you've talked about being a person of faith. And in most parts of the country and most fields, I feel like it wouldn't necessarily be something that would put you apart. But I wonder if you feel like in journalism it does kind of put you apart a little bit. And I'm also curious to what extent it impacts your coverage, if at all.
Byron Pitts: In every job I've ever had in my 20 plus years in television, I've always made clear to my bosses that's a big part of who I am. And I've never felt the conflict between my faith walk and my professional journey. I believe in my heart that I know who I am and I know whose I am – or who I belong to. And I think for me as a person of faith – I'm Christian, I'm Baptist, I was raised in a Baptist church – that for me that my faith walk is a search for truth in my life, a closer relationship with God.
In my professional life, as a journalist, I am on a search for truth. So I don't see any conflict in those two things. Certainly when I was younger I felt uncomfortable doing stories about religion. But as I've gotten older and hopefully more mature, I can appreciate doing stories about faith, whatever that faith may be, and feel comfortable about that.
Brian Montopoli: Who should replace Ed Bradley on "60 Minutes?"
Byron Pitts: I think a couple things. I think, one, we all need to accept the fact that no one can fit Ed Bradley's shoes. His were custom made. But I hope the decision will be made to hire someone who can follow in his footsteps. Someone who is a journalist who has shown range, who has shown compassion, and someone who's real. One of the things that I think that people loved about Ed Bradley – as they do about all the people at "60 Minutes" – is you get a sense that they are real people, they are not people who just showed up on the scene, but they are people who have a body of work, and when they tell you something, because they have covered all the major stories in the course of their careers, that you can believe it. And I think that adds to the credibility of the program. And I think that's important.