Article: Sawyer Talk

Diane Sawyer spoke at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Friday morning before heading to the Arizona Biltmore to receive the 2010 Walter Cronkite
Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Diane Sawyer, anchor of ABC's "World News with Diane Sawyer", was chosen to be the 27th
recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.  Sawyer recieved the
award at the Arizona Biltmore Friday evening but held a question and answer session in Walter
Cronkite's First Amendment Forum beforehand.

Sawyer began the session by talking about her start in journalism, her experiences, and then
took a few questions from students and reporters.

Sawyer spoke about Walter Cronkite saying he was "a good man with a wild and wicked sense of
humor."

One of the philosophies that Sawyer said she followed was that even though Americans are
intelligent they are not always given necessary or vital information.  She said that she
keeps that in mind when reporting.

"If you can keep them saying, well, that's new, then you've done your job."

Sawyer also spoke of bringing her interviewees down to a personal level and making them feel
comfortable and compelled to answer questions.  She spoke of her interviews with soul singer
Whitney Houston and then Iraqi president Saddam Hussein in which she asked him "How many
people did you kill?"

Sawyer also recalled an interview she conducted with a female porn star in which she asked her
why she smiles in regards to her business to which the porn actress began to sob.

Sawyer said that it is not important to try to top yours or anyone else's questions but to
simply ask what is truly important.

Sawyer concluded the session by saying that journalism is one of the best jobs in the world.
In order to succeed in journalism one must believe in theirself, be persistent, and "keep
knocking on that door."

"You have to take the first job and show people what you can do."


Sawyer is the 27th recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award.  Brian Williams, anchor of "NBC
Nightly News", was the recipient of 2009.