Homecoming for a diehard Texan
In Houston visit, Jim Lehrer discusses partisan politics, family secrets & thefuture of journalism
Jim Lehrer spoke to a Houston audience on Monday evening.Photo by Steven Thomson
Lehrer's captive audience proposed questions on such topics as partisanship andthe voting process.Photo by Steven Thomson
Jim Lehrer — the celebrated chief anchor of PBS NewsHour — steps down this week after 36 years, but he landed in Houston on Monday for a special engagement at the Omni Houston Hotel for Houston's PBS station, Channel 8. The KUHT "Elevate Lecture" represented a bit of a homecoming for the diehard Texan, who got his start working for the Houston Chronicle while attending junior college in Victoria.
Before the question and answer, he clarified any confusion surrounding his mislabeling as a native Texan. Although having been birthed in Kansas, Lehrer regaled the audience with every tiny town and suburb that leads from Victoria to Houston — a skill derived from having worked at the Continental Bus Trailways terminal in Victoria while in college. "Could someone who's not a real Texan do that?," he asked.
Indeed, Lehrer imparted his celebrated humor that doesn't always shine through on camera. Following a moving video collage of his most memorable moments on air, Lehrer introduced himself to the crowd with a hearty, "If any of you are interested in my ties, let me know — because I've kept them all."
The journalist has penned 20 novels, two memoirs and three plays, along with moderating 11 nationally televised presidential debates. However, on Tuesday, the tables were turned as he faced off with host and moderator Ernie Manouse of HoustonPBS' InnerVIEWS. Lehrer offered ample responses to Manouse's tough questions.
On the definition of being an American:
You could come from anywhere in the world and be an American. The wonderful thing is there's not one thing you have to believe in . . . To understand what it's like to be an American, all you have to do is go somewhere else with less freedom. However, I do not believe in exceptionalism. We're not exceptional. We are who we are, and some things we have done have not gone well. But we have a spirit."
On the lack of bipartisanship:
I have a minority view, and nobody's going to agree with me, but it's always been that way, beginning with John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. But at times when there is real hurt in the U.S., usually economic, we look within the political system and realize that most Americans are not ideological. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says 'I'm going to make this conservative decision' or 'I'm going to live like a liberal.' There will still be ideologies, but in crisis, the uncivil discourse will disappear."
On the rapid proliferation of news sources:
Everyone knows this — when I first started, there were three nightly news programs. Now we have resources on everything imaginable. It's wonderful. But we haven't learned how to deal with it yet. Sorting out how we responsibly deal with this flow of information is what we're doing now. We're creating a whole new pattern for information gatekeepers."
Lehrer openly accepts the new guard of instant journalism, as evidenced even by the robust NewsHour website. "If you've got your pink iPod with your name engraved, or droid or wawa tweettweet, the you already have the headlines," he said. "Journalists are now looking for new ways of distinguishing themselves."
He delineated the future of the Associated Press, which is in the process of rebranding itself as a thoughtful news source, remarkable for its reputation and credibility. The AP was the only venue not to instantly (and erroneously) report on Gabrielle Giffords' "death" following the January shooting in Tucson, Lehrer noted.
When pressed to list his preferred sources of information, Lehrer stated the standards — the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal — but these days, he's more likely to read them on his droid or Kindle than flip through the standard gray pages.
During his three-hour engagement at the Omni, Lehrer elaborated on his image as one of the most venerated journalists of his era, revealing himself as not just an admirable professional, but a thoughtful human being. When asked to trace his fascination with travel bus line memorabilia, he explained, "I suppose it started when I was born," when his father worked with Continental Bus Trailways, but eventually had to file for bankruptcy as the industry entered a long decay. "When he died in 1979, I began collecting objects from the Continental Bus trailways," said Lehrer. "For me, it's my way of showing respect for my father."
