Bob Schieffer's "About the News" with H. Andrew Schwartz

New Yorker’s Evan Osnos: Dispatch From Pyongyang Sep 26, 2017

In this episode, we talk to the New Yorker’s Evan Osnos about his New Yorker piece “The Risk of Nuclear War with North Korea.” Osnos spent 5 days in late August visiting Pyongyang. His reporting on the “historic uncertainty” surrounding the U.S. and North Korea and the nuclear equation are the subject of this podcast. Download transcript here.

ABC's Jonathan Karl at the UN with Trump Sep 21, 2017

In this episode ABC's Jonathan Karl calls in from New York, where he's covering President Trump's visit to the UN plus a discussion about the Muller investigation.

Politico’s Josh Dawsey: Gen. Flynn Scoop Sep 13, 2017

Politico’s Josh Dawsey reported today that as a top official on President Donald Trump’s transition team, former Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn actively promoted a private-sector scheme to build dozens of nuclear reactors across the Middle East known informally in the transition as the “Marshall Plan.” But he did not publicly disclose that backers of the plan had paid him at least $25,000. We spoke with Dawsey about his scoop and about the current state of the Trump White House.

NYT’s Glenn Thrush: What’s Going On? Sep 08, 2017

When we really want to know what’s going on deep inside the Trump White House and with the President himself, there is no one better to turn to that New York Times White House correspondent Glenn Thrush. In this interview we discuss the changes in the White House structure under new chief of staff John Kelly, the aftermath of Charlottesville, Hurricane Harvey, DACA, compromise with Chuck and Nancy and how the President is “living his life in 15 minute increments.”

Politico’s Tara Palmeri: A Reporter With Sources Aug 07, 2017

Sean Spicer infamously said Politico’s star White House correspondent Tara Palmeri was “an idiot with no real sources.” We beg to differ! In this wide ranging discussion taped on the eve of President Trump’s August vaction, Bob Schieffer and Andrew Schwartz learn just how strong Palmeri’s sources are. Download transcript here.

Race to the Top: Graham Allison on Balancing China Jul 31, 2017

In this episode, Bob sits down with prominent political scientist and professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School, Graham Allison. Allison discusses his recent book, Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?, the culture of “dysfunction” in Washington, and the delicate relationship between prominent and rising world powers. Download transcript here.

Ruth Marcus: A Matter of Opinion Jul 24, 2017

In this episode we sit down with Ruth Marcus, an accomplished political columnist who has been with the Washington Post for 33 years. Ruth tells us why the Post seeks to challenge the “self-imposed siloization” of American news habits with their op-ed page, how newspaper competition is fueling good journalism, and what it’s like to write about the first “improv White House.” Download transcript here.

Politico’s Playbook: Pulse of Political Pop Culture Jul 17, 2017

In this episode we talk to Playbook’s Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman, two members of the team that took the reins from Playbook’s creator Mike Allen a year ago this month. Since that time, Anna and Jake, along with Daniel Lippman, have taken Politico’s signature product and transformed it to an even larger franchise. This is a discussion about how they did that, the Trump White House and what they think is the hottest story in town—Capitol Hill. Download transcript here.

Ezra Klein: Collusion is Likely Jul 12, 2017

In this episode with Vox’s Ezra Klein, we discuss the Donald Trump, Jr. emails, what “collusion means” and what Klein calls “a dark time” in Washington. Download transcript here.

White House Access: WH Correspondent’s Association President Jeff Mason Jun 21, 2017

Reuters’ White House correspondent Jeff Mason serves double duty. In addition to covering President Trump, Jeff is the current White House Correspondents Association President. This episode of our podcast was recorded just after President Trump’s first 100 days in office when Jeff landed a key interview with the President in which he discussed the rigors of his job. It also came just after President Trump and his staff broke with tradition and declined an invitation to attend the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner. Presidential access is always a key issue for the reporters who cover the White House. This discussion with Jeff was recorded at a time when access was better than it currently is. But if we have learned one thing about the Trump White House, it’s that access is constantly changing. Download transcript here.

Trump's Unforced Errors Jun 16, 2017

National Journal's George Condon has covered 9 Presidents of the United States including President Trump. Condon is regarded as the "Dean" of the White House Press Corps and we asked for his impressions of the Trump White House. Recorded on the eve of former FBI director James Comey's Capitol Hill testimony, Condon described what he calls President Trump's "Top Ten Unforced Errors" and much more. Download transcript here.

Freewheeling White House: Politico's Annie Karni Jun 07, 2017

Politico's Annie Karni covers the freewheeling Trump White House, where Jared and Ivanka have their own communications apparatus and it's often hard to know who is in charge of what because it appears to change minute by minute. Annie is new to the WH beat, and is covering it with fresh eyes. Download transcript here.

Two Maggies: Maggie Haberman’s coverage of Donald Trump Jun 02, 2017

The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman asks President Trump the tough questions. And while the President isn’t always a fan of the New York Times or of Maggie’s reporting, he does like Maggie as a person—he even says there are “two Maggies, the one who talks to me and the one who writes about me.” We found both Maggies to be fascinating in our interview with her. Download transcript here.

Collusion and Denial: Wash Post’s Adam Entous’ big story on Trump’s appeals to the DNI and NSA director May 24, 2017

Veteran White House and investigative reporter Adam Entous of the Washington Post broke two explosive stories over the past week—that President Trump asked two of the nation’s top intelligence officials in March to help him push back against an FBI investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and the Russian government, and, that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said in a private Capitol Hill conversation captured on audio tape “There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump.” Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is a Californian Republican known in Congress as a fervent defender of Putin and Russia. In this riveting conversation, Entous takes us through the details of his reporting. Download transcript here.

Witch Hunt: NYT’s Peter Baker on WH turmoil May 18, 2017

This morning President Trump tweeted, “This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!” We spoke with New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker about the tumult in Washington and about the President’s upcoming foreign trip, his first as President of the United States. Download transcript here.

White House Hot Seat: Ashley Parker of the Wash Post on the unfolding aftermath of Comey’s Firing May 11, 2017

Just two days after President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, the Washington Post White House correspondent talks about being in the hot seat as the Comey story and associated news unfolds. Download transcript here.

Comey Fired: David Ignatius of the Wash Post on the mystery surrounding the FBI Director’s Dismissal May 10, 2017

Less than 18 hours after the shocking news that FBI Director James Comey had been fired by President Trump, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius discusses his reporting on the White House’s action and the aftermath of its historic decision. Download transcript here.

Trump’s Trial Balloons: Talking Trump Coverage with Bloomberg’s Margaret Talev May 03, 2017

This week, Donald Trump told Bloomberg’s Senior White House Correspondent Margaret Talev he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un, that he may propose a gas tax to pay for bridge and road repairs, that he was exploring whether to break up the big banks and even suggested a health care plan more generous than Barack Obama’s for those with preexisting conditions. All in a 30 minute Oval Office interview! We asked Margaret what this whirlwind week was like and what it’s like covering President Trump. Download transcript here.

Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign Apr 25, 2017

A candid conversation with authors Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen about what went wrong with Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the reporting for their best-selling book out this week “Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign.” Download transcript here.

The Real Glenn Thrush: A conversation with NYT’s White House Correspondent Apr 14, 2017

Covering the Trump White House may be the most exciting beat the New York Times’ Glenn Thrush has experienced in a career choice full of exciting assignments. In this wide ranging conversation about President Trump and his senior staff, politics and journalism, Thrush tells it like it is. Download transcript here.

The Wall Exists: Editorial Balance at WSJ Mar 08, 2017

The Wall Street Journal’s Washington Bureau Chief Jerry Seib tells us that in the era of Donald Trump, the Journal continues to cover news as it always has—fairly and with tough reporting. Seib maintains that the “Wall” between the Journal’s editorial page and its news division still exists. In this wide ranging conversation set against the backdrop of President Trump’s latest twitter storm, Seib says: “The one consistent thing that Donald Trump conveyed and got through to people, both during the campaign and frankly also since he’s taken office, is that he could be the agent of change.” Download transcript here.

The Root: Unapologetically Black Mar 06, 2017

Danielle Belton is the award winning editor of The Root, the African-American online cultural magazine. In this wide ranging discussion, Belton tells us that The Root “doesn’t believe in respectability politics,” but rather seeks to capture an unvarnished, unapologetic take on “what it means to be black.” The internet democratized the media space for everyone, she says. People who originally had no access to major news outlets now have a place to practice journalism. And, with regard to covering Donald Trump, Belton says “everyone is really sensitive right now because of the nature of this presidency” and that the job for members of the press is to present “the truth” and examine the “dark places and cast light so people can see what’s going on.” Download transcript here.

A Smarter Texas: Evan Smith, Texas Tribune CEO Feb 22, 2017

Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith is changing the way news is covered in Texas. In an era of disappearing traditional newspapers, The Texas Tribune provides a model for 21st century journalism that has served Texas’s 24 million people for close to a decade. It is the only member-supported, digital-first, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. This wide ranging conversation explores how with a staff of nearly 50 dedicated reporters, editors, technologists, designers and business leaders, the Tribune has continued to advance its mission of bringing greater transparency and accountability to public policy, politics and government through news, data and events. Download transcript here.

Stephen Colbert: Trump stole my gig Feb 10, 2017

Late Show host and satirist Stephen Colbert, who once announced that he would run for President of the United States, believes Donald Trump took a few pages out of his playbook. In this episode we discuss Donald Trump with Colbert, the intersection of comedy and news, the American political landscape and shared a few laughs. Download transcript here.

Fake Polls: NBC/WSJ Pollster Peter Hart Feb 07, 2017

In this episode Peter Hart, who has conducted the NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll since 1989 discusses what “margin of error” really means, the mistakes that he and those in polling made during the 2016 presidential election, and the future of polls in a polarized America. Download transcript here.

We’re Not the Opposition Party: NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack Feb 01, 2017

NBC News and MSNBC’s chief Andrew Lack believes that the Trump Administration poses a “test of character for many news organizations.” In this wide ranging discussion, he discusses the challenge of covering President Trump, American’s trust and distrust of the media, hiring Megyn Kelly, the future of NBC and MSNBC and more. Download transcript here.

Alt-Facts and Journalism That Holds: NPR’s Editorial Director Michael Oreskes Jan 25, 2017

NPR’s top man in charge of news Michael Oreskes joined us for a fascinating discussion about “alternative facts,” covering the Trump presidency, and what it takes to produce solid journalism in a post-truth environment. We also discussed the innovations at NPR and its strategies to engage its audience.

"The scarcest resource in journalism right now is attention span," Oreskes says. "We used to live in a world of journalism governed by the laws of physics. Time and space were our key constraints: space in a newspaper, time on the air. The really controlling force in the world right now is how long you can keep your audience, your followers, consuming the journalism you're creating. They have just so many other places to go, so many things pulling on them and so many demands on their time that our goal is to create journalism that holds them.” Download transcript here.

“Tweets are the new press release” with New York Times Washington Bureau Chief Elisabeth Bumiller Jan 19, 2017

Tweets from Donald Trump will be treated like press releases the Times’ Washington Bureau Chief Elisabeth told us. The ones that contain news will get coverage, the ones that don’t will not. In this wide ranging conversation, we spoke with Bumiller about covering the next president, the changing news landscape and the future of the Times. Download transcript here.

Jake Tapper and Trump’s First Press Conference Jan 13, 2017

On this episode, we spoke to CNN anchor Jake Tapper about Donald Trump’s first news conference, the decision to report on an intelligence dossier and the challenges of covering a new president. Download transcript here.

Chris Wallace and the Fox Firewall Jan 11, 2017

On this episode, we spoke to Fox News Channel’s Chris Wallace, moderator for the past 14 years of Fox News Sunday. Wallace moderated the third Presidential debate this year, the first time a Fox moderator has been selected. Over 70 million people watched the debates and by all accounts, Wallace was a superb moderator. We discussed the debate, the campaign and Fox News’ place in the news ecosystem among other in the moment topics about the news. Download transcript here.

Aftermath: Reporting on Russian Hacks with NYT's David Sanger Dec 20, 2016

The New York Times's David Sanger is part of a team that explained how Russian hackers attempted to play a role in the US presidential election. A great discussion on what happened and when, how it was reported and the aftermath. Download transcript here .

Washington Post’s Margaret Sullivan: Fake News, Muddy Waters and Presidential Tweets Dec 14, 2016

The Washington Post’s media columnist Margaret Sullivan has an incredible job to do these days—make sense out of a new digital media landscape where the lines between real news, fake news and satire are often blurred. It’s a landscape journalists and media companies need to adjust to. As do tech giants Facebook and Google who are grappling with the very issue of whether they are a “media company.” Download transcript here

Journalism is Disappearing from War Zones Dec 07, 2016

This week, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released its new survey, the “2016 People on War report.” Drawing on the views of 17,000 people in 16 countries, the report provides important insight into how war is perceived around the world. We spoke to ICRC Director General Yves Daccord, a former journalist, about the new study and about how war is being reported on globally. Critically, we learned that journalism is disappearing from war zones and we discussed the impact fake news and propaganda has on war and perceptions of issues associated with war. Download transcript here.

The New Yorker's Jill Lepore Nov 23, 2016

In this episode, The New Yorker's Jill Lepore discusses the huge crisis in American journalism in the aftermath of the presidential election, inaccurate polling, social media impact, fake news, data journalism and democracy. Download transcript here.

CNN’s Brian Stelter is Reliable Nov 07, 2016

On the eve of the most unusual presidential election in recent memory, we spoke to Brian Stelter, the host of CNN’s “Reliable Sources” about the “plague of fake news that set out to trick people” and the “blizzard of misinformation” circulating before election day. Download transcript here.

Mic media trailblazer Chris Altcheck Nov 02, 2016

With an audience of over 65 million millennials, Mic has become the go-to media company for a generation. With its emphasis on tailoring news for a generation that is inquisitive and has a healthy skepticism for conventional wisdom, Mic is a media company that is redefining how news is produced. Our conversation with Mic's founder is one of our favorite episodes of this podcast. Download transcript here.

Dan Balz is the first political reporter to turn to Oct 31, 2016

In this unprecedented election season, or in any, as Bob Schieffer points out, the Washington Post’s Dan Balz is the first political reporter to turn to in order to make sense of what’s going on. Recorded just before the latest October Surprise in an election chock full of almost daily bombshell’s, Bob and Dan discuss the impact this election has had on both political parties and on the media landscape. Download transcript here.

Hugh Hewitt on the Wildest Election Ever Oct 23, 2016

In this "have you ever election," Hugh Hewitt is one of the best people to talk to in order to make sense of it all. We spoke to Hugh about Trump, Hillary, the US media landscape and more in this freewheeling conversation. Download transcript here.

Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff and the Supersonic Digital Media Revolution Oct 18, 2016

Vox media has been called a “publishing house for the digital age.” As we learned in this fascinating conversation with Vox CEO Jim Bankoff, the company is an even bigger deal than that. With its portfolio of eight “verticals” or branded websites, including the eponymous Vox.com which adroitly “explains the news,” SB Nation which is the fastest-growing sports media brand on the web, and Eater, a go-to resource for Foodies, the Vox Media juggernaut is reaching over 170 million monthly visitors. As he philosophically and practically discussed the craft of high quality storytelling and the harnessing of technology to make the latest from Vox Media accessible, it became obvious to us that in his own right, Bankoff is quite the raconteur. Simply put, as Bob Schieffer does so well, “Jim Bankoff has figured out a lot.” Download transcript here .

Ciquizza and The Fix: Changing media in an era of outrageous politics Oct 11, 2016

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza is one of the most innovative journalists working today. He created "The Fix," the widely popular politics weblog that's become an addiction for Washington Post readers. Utilizing a creative swirl of multimedia, smart reporting and analysis, The Fix is the model for next generation journalism. And, his Ciquizza podcast with its gameshow format makes politics fun even in this election season of "have you ever?" Download transcript here.

The Bezos Effect: Dan Kennedy and the Future of Newspapers Sep 29, 2016

In this episode, we talk to Media Nation blogging guru Dan Kennedy about the future of newspapers and the technology that is changing the media landscape. Kennedy, a professor at Northeastern University’s School of Journalism and author of “The Wired City: Reimagining Journalism and Civic Life in the Post-Newspaper Age,” discusses his often cited analysis of how the Washington Post is being run by its new owner Jeff Bezos and how the paper has been transformed into a model media and technology company. Dan and Bob Schieffer first met last spring at the Harvard Kennedy School, where Kennedy was a Joan Shorenstein Fellow and Bob was the Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow. Kennedy is currently working on book project called “The Return of the Moguls,” which will be about the Post under Bezos, the Boston Globe under Red Sox principal owner John Henry, and the Orange County Register under entrepreneur Aaron Kushner, to be published by ForeEdge in 2017. Kennedy is a frequent contributor to Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab, a project that attempts to help journalism figure out its future in an Internet age. Download transcript here.

Maureen Dowd on The Year of Voting Dangerously Sep 15, 2016

Maureen Dowd, the superstar New York Times columnist and political observer has a new book out September 13 "The Year of Voting Dangerously: The Derangement of American Politics." On the eve of her book release, as only Dowd can, she dissects this perilous and shocking campaign season where Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are locked in a race to overcome their respective negatives. In this episode, we ask Dowd about the news behind the psychologies and pathologies of one of the nastiest and most significant battles of the sexes ever. Download transcript here.

Nancy Youssef, a Muslim overheard at the Pentagon Sep 07, 2016

The Daily Beast’s national security correspondent, Nancy Youssef, is an Egyptian-American journalist, a Muslim and perhaps most of all, according to her, an advocate for her readers. In this episode, Nancy, a former Baghdad bureau chief and Middle East correspondent, talks about life in the war zone from Iraq to Libya and what it was like covering Cairo during the immediate aftermath of the Arab spring. She also tell us what she has overheard at the Pentagon (her catch phrase) and the journalists’ dilemma of working in an era where eyeball numbers matter and stories are published without editorial oversight. Download transcript here.

Mediaite Dan Abrams Aug 30, 2016

From TV green rooms to the corridors of the senate to the latest hashtag revolt, Mediaite.com has become a source on the intersection of politics and media across the political spectrum. On this episode of “About the News,” Mediaite founder Dan Abrams who is also ABC News’s legal analyst, discusses the ingredients that make content unique, how his media company engages audiences, the state of the cable news wars and what the big three broadcast networks deliver in the current media landscape. Abrams, who left MSNBC to found the Abrams Media Network also talks about the digitally native websites his company has developed in addition to Mediaite: The Mary Sue, The Braiser, Runway Riot and Law Newz. Download transcript here.

Soledad O’Brien does it all Aug 23, 2016

News anchor, field reporter, documentarian, producer and business woman, Soledad O’Brien does it all. One of the most entrepreneurial journalists of her generation, Soledad talks about her career, her craft, race in America and about what it’s like to interview people who contradict themselves on this episode of “About the News.” Download transcript here.

Walt Mossberg and the end of News Websites Aug 16, 2016

Steve Jobs launched the first ever podcast on stage with Walt Mossberg at Mossberg’s now legendary “All Things Digital Conference.” Mossberg, widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential journalists co-founded Recode. As executive editor of The Verge and Recode Editor-at-Large, Mossberg is at the forefront of the news media’s digital transformation. In this podcast, Mossberg provides unique insight into podcasting, the future of news and publishing and what it’s like to be entrepreneurial as a journalist. Download transcript here.

CBS’s Holly Williams reports from the Danger Zone Aug 10, 2016

CBS News Foreign Correspondent Holly Williams talks about reporting from some of the world’s most dangerous places—watching the attempted coup in Turkey from the balcony of her home as fighter jets flew overhead, being followed by authorities in China, rolling with the Peshmerga in Iraq, going undercover in Bangladesh and other stories from the front lines of global conflict. Download transcript here.

Trump’s Foreign Policy and Zero Days Aug 04, 2016

New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger talks about his lengthy interviews with Donald Trump on foreign policy, the DNC hack attack and what goes into reporting on the biggest cybersecurity stories of the decade. Download transcript here.

Schieffer’s 25th Convention Jul 26, 2016

In this episode of About the News, Andrew interviews Bob at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, the 25th national political convention Bob has covered as a journalist. Bob provides observations of both the Democratic and Republican Conventions, talks about how traditional and non-traditional media organizations are covering the events and discusses Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as candidates. Download transcript here.

The Orlando Sentinel Jul 19, 2016

Managing Editor John Cutter talks about covering the Orlando attack, survival in the newspaper business, checks on government, innovation and more. Download transcript here.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Bob Schieffer’s “About the News” with H. Andrew Schwartz

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected