From the course: How to Become a Purpose-Driven Journalist

Integrity

- One of the most important lessons that my parents have imbued in me is integrity. Integrity is at the end of the day, that you can lay your head down on the pillow and say, "I have integrity." That, no matter what you've done, you have integrity and you conduct yourself with integrity. It is the heart of journalism. We have to be the most trusted source in news and I believe that CBS is the most trusted source in news, because of the integrity of the people that work here. For example, how can people trust me to help them tell their story? How can they trust me to know that they're going to get a fair shake in an interview? It's my integrity and my integrity speaks through my work and my body of work. I'm trying to get an interview with someone who's extremely important in government, and this person does not do interviews. And, I didn't think that they would probably give me this interview, but I said, "It's worth it, "and I'm going to be persistent and I'm going to keep making "those phone calls." And this powerful individual in government came back and they have seen my body of work. They had seen that I'd done a fair interview with the FBI Director, Christopher Wray. This individual had seen that Joe Biden had decided to speak with me on 60 Minutes when he first decided he wouldn't run for president in 2016 after his son had died. This person saw that one of the most powerful conservatives, and Republicans in Congress, Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip was going to sit down with me and talk with me on 60 Minutes. The integrity in your work shines through. It allows you to continue to do interviews of significance. If people know they can trust you for a fair and honest conversation, that can further understanding, it will pay off over the long run, and that's ultimately what I hope is my hallmark, is that the quality of my work that while tough, fair, and that there's a sense of integrity behind that work.

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