Gary Tuchman interview - Part 2

Am I allowed to admit that I'm a tiny little bit sad that there isn't a Part 3 for tomorrow? (J/K - sort of ...) But nonetheless, we are most appreciative that Gary was able to devote the time that it took to answer our questions. And as you can tell from his honest, candid and humorous responses, Gary is a truly gracious interviewee who allowed this effort to be so very easy ... thank you!!



And continuing on with Part 2 - the questions begin with those from Stardust:

Gary, thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed by AC360 Buzz! What prompted you to become a journalist? What advice would you give to anyone hoping to enter the field of journalism, in particular TV news? What is the best and worst thing about being a TV journalist?

Journalism is an exciting life. You are always learning; and you end up teaching. I like broadcast journalism because I have always liked writing to the pictures that we see through the camera. When I went to college, I thought if I could get a job in television news I would always be happy doing it. And 25 years later, it is still true. I’m very proud of this network. There are no better broadcast journalists on this planet than the ones who work at CNN. And it’s a great feeling knowing that when there is huge breaking news, this is where people in the U.S., and much of the world, turn to first.

Although you are a professional reporter I am certain that many stories affect you on an emotional level. How do you prevent yourself from becoming emotionally involved in tragedies like the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster, Iraq, or Katrina?

I don’t prevent myself from getting involved on an emotional level. I can’t help it. I think people assume you get used to horrible tragedies, but I never have and never will. I think covering sad stories actually became harder for me after I becoming a father.

When I covered the Oklahoma City bombing, my second child had just had his first birthday. It was extremely difficult interviewing the grieving parents who lost their children in their Murrah Federal Building. I don’t hide it. If I cover a sad story, I’m sad. I can still tell the story accurately and fairly.

How do you decide what reports you would like to do and how much control do you have over them? What has been the most difficult story for you to cover and why?

The reports I cover happen in different ways. Some are my idea. I’ll tell my bosses I want to cover a certain story and if they like it (which I hope they usually do) I’m off to cover it. Other times, the bosses at AC 360 (and Anderson himself) have ideas that I’m eager to go out and cover. What’s great about CNN and Anderson Cooper 360 is that it is rare I’m covering a story I’m not interested in. As far as difficulty covering a story, there’s no doubt the tragic ones are the toughest. Oklahoma City, TWA flight 800, September 11th, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina have all been among the most difficult stories to cover. But lower profile ones are up there too.




The story I did reported recently on the 13 year- old Missouri girl who killed herself after getting harassed on the Internet was emotionally wrenching. I sat with her parents who cried as they told me that terrible story.


I love watching the banter between you and Anderson during the 360 Bulletin; it seems to have reached a feverishly naughty pitch recently. Do you enjoy doing the Bulletin? Without giving too many secrets away can you tell us how much of it is improvised and how much is planned? BTW, I never would have guessed you were a head banger!!


Ha! I was actually a punk rocker at one time. (Remember, I went to college in the late 70’s and early 80’s! Long live the The Ramones)!

Anyway, Anderson is a hard worker, a great journalist, and a good friend. It helps your on-air relationship when you respect someone like I respect him. Much of the Bulletin is scripted; but when the story ends, it’s all ad-lib. The key is to have fun on TV, just like you’d have if you were talking about the same story off the air. (minus the salty language, of course!)





I was surprised to find out that you have been at CNN since 1990; you must have been a kid! Since then, what would you say have been the most significant changes, both good and bad, in cable news? What direction do you see it going in the future?

I felt like I was a kid! But alas, I was 29 when I started. The business has changed dramatically. When I started at CNN, we had no cable news competition. There was no Internet. Most cable systems only had 30 or 40 channels. Now, with the competition (not just in the U.S., but all over the world with cable news), and with the Internet, and the zillion channels on your cable or satellite system, it has forced the business to change. But I think it’s been mostly for the good. CNN has dramatically improved its newsgathering technology, and we have amazingly talented people to make the programs more compelling to watch. I am given license to be more creative with my stories to keep the eyeballs on the screen. And that’s good. Even better---as I mentioned before, nobody has ever told me to lower my journalistic standards.

You have covered such a wide range of subject matter in your reports over the years, have you ever thought about writing a book?

One day, I will. For now, being on the road most of the time, and trying to be a good husband and father when I’m home, takes 90 percent of my time. The other 10 percent I sleep!

From newsblooz:

As part of the coverage of the Sago Mine tragedy, you went to the Colorado School of Mines to learn about the training that miners receive to handle accidents and perform rescue activities. How did that help you to report on the details of the Crandall Canyon Mine story from earlier this year? And did it also help you to understand what the trapped miners faced when you actually went inside the mine with Bob Murray to take a look at the spot where the collapse occurred?

That’s a good question and thanks for watching my Colorado School of Mines story! The answer is YES! It helped me understand so much of what I saw when I went into the Crandall Canyon Mine during the actual rescue effort. That is one of the most unique stories I’ve ever covered. Mine owners NEVER let us journalists inside mines. Even when everything’s fine.

I was surprised when Bob Murray allowed us to go in the mine, but I jumped at the opportunity. Yes, we knew the mine was still shaking (and indeed, ultimately led to the tragic deaths of three rescuers), but that is our job as journalists. I cover Iraq, I cover Afghanistan, I feel like as long as we stay out of the way, we have an obligation to try to get in the mine to tell all of those stories. Our viewers now know a heck of a lot more about coal mines and the courage of miners than they did before they saw our video and story from inside Crandall Canyon.

When you reported from Iraq this past September, you noted that while the troops still felt patriotic about the mission, their enthusiasm was somewhat dampened by the lack of a timeline for ending military involvement – there was no longer an “end in sight”. What other differences did you find (either with the military or otherwise throughout the country) since you were there during the initial combat phase in 2003?

When I was there for the beginning of the war in Iraq, everything was primitive. One of the bases we stayed at in the days after the invasion of Iraq was in the town of Al-Kut. The latrines for the male and female troops were holes in the ground. The food still came in packages. The shower consisted of buckets of water you dumped on your head and body.

Now though at the military base we stayed at in Balad, there was a huge swimming pool several times bigger than an Olympic pool. Also, there is a Taco Bell, a Subway, and a Pizza Hut. The mess hall has the finest selection of food I’ve seen at any cafeteria. In other words, it feels more like home; which I guess is both good and bad. Morale-wise, there certainly were differences. In 2003, most troops seemed to be extremely gung-ho. They all seemed to the war would be short and they’d be going home quickly. But this past September, it appeared to us that morale has been greatly affected by troops not knowing what it takes to end this war. But in 2003 and 2007, I saw the same dedication and courage among the troops. That hasn’t changed.

You’ve mentioned that you were a catcher at one time. Do you still enjoy participating in any other sports on a regular (or even an infrequent) basis?

I love baseball. It’s the only thing I ever wanted to do for a living more than this. But I broke my knee as a teenager after a skateboarding accident and my baseball career went downhill with that!

I still go to batting cages often with my children, and I think I hit better than ever! I also like to play softball, basketball, racquetball, and tennis. And as I already mentioned, I’m an avid rollerblader.

You covered the Sammy Sosa “corked bat” story back in 2003. Now that we ‘officially’ know that steroids and baseball are intertwined, what effect do you think the cost of, well, ‘cheating’, will be on the game – both short-term and long-term?

I think it’s deplorable. When we spend our money to go to a baseball game, we should fully expect it will not be like professional wrestling or roller derby. To people who ask, why are you so surprised, or what’s the big deal, I say this; most players still do NOT use steroids. They are under enormous pressure to do so, but most have resisted, and Senator Mitchell told us some of those players talked to him during his investigation. So, my opinion is that if we don’t nail the cheaters to make the game better for the fans, nail them in honor of recognizing the players who have thrived in the majors without cheating.

While you were studying at Boston University, which courses did you enjoy most? Did you participate on any of the sports teams, or report for the school paper? Or other activities – besides attending rock concerts? And if it’s not too personal, we’d like to hear about which ones you DID attend!! ;-)

I loved BU. I majored in Broadcast Journalism, and loved my writing and production classes. But the liberal arts courses were just as, if not more, valuable. Because you need to quickly become an “expert” on so many different types of stories on this job, I knew that even my most esoteric classes could become practical knowledge by the time I hit the real world. Meanwhile, at BU, I played a lot of intramural sports. I played softball, soccer, hockey, basketball, and broomball! What’s broomball, you might ask? It’s a unique New England game played on an ice rink. It’s like hockey, except you use a broom and your shoes! And yes, I always loved the music scene. Boston was a great town for rock n roll. Groups I saw in Boston included the Cars, Boston, and Aerosmith. I saw a double bill of the Cars and Blondie at a small punk rock club called the Rathskellar in Boston’s Kenmore Square before I had even heard of those two bands!

Note: Gary was presented with a Distinguished Alumni Award from BU in 2003 - you can read about it here in the almuni newsletter (see "College of Communication").



If you hadn’t become a journalist, which career path would you have chosen? Major League catcher, perhaps? ;-)

Baseball may have been my number one choice if I was good enough. But I’ve wanted to do what I do now since I was in junior high school. Nobody else in my family had ever been in this industry, but my parents were always supportive and that was important.

The customary “favorites” question:

Favorite book / author?

I don’t have a favorite author. I mainly read non-fiction, and I especially like biographies and autobiographies. I am currently reading Jeffrey Toobin’s fascinating look at the U.S. Supreme Court, “The Nine.”

Favorite music / artist? Bruce Springsteen and U2. My wife and I just saw Springsteen in Holland.

Favorite movie? The Graduate.

I think not only is it is not only great moviemaking, but the message of figuring out your dream and not stopping until you get it is an incredibly important principle of life.




Favorite TV show? Our show doesn’t count, because that would be too trite of an answer. So my answer would be the World Series, Stanley Cup, NBA Championship, and the Superbowl. Human drama embodied in sport is great. I'm also still a sucker for Seinfeld reruns.



Is there anyone in particular that you would like to have a lengthy sit-down interview with? If so, who would it be and why?

If there were no pre-conditions, my answer would be Kim Jong-Il, North Korea’s strongman. Possibly the most mysterious man on the planet.


Thanks for all your questions! And thanks for being such loyal viewers. We all appreciate it!


Well, that wraps it up - once again, many thanks to Stardust for the assistance with this 'venture' - and a :: round of applause :: for Gary Tuchman - we'll be first in line for the book - thank you very much for your time and generosity!!