Courtroom Explodes in Laughter After ABC’s Sawyer Touts Fairness of Journalists

Thursday’s edition of "Good Morning America" featured a Diane Sawyer anecdote that revealed the low opinion Americans have of journalists. After wrapping up a segment on people who avoid jury duty, the ABC co-host recounted the "hurtful" experience she had in a courtroom:

Video (0:55): Real (1.51) or Windows (1.71 MB), plus MP3 Audio (607kB) and MP3 audio (just the soundbite -- 130 kB)

[Wrap up of segment on getting out of jury duty.]

Diane Sawyer: "You know, I wanted to sit on a jury once and I was taken off the jury. And the judge said to me, 'Can, you know, can you tell the truth and be fair?' And I said, 'That's what journalists do.' And everybody in the courtroom laughed. It was the most hurtful moment I think I've ever had."

Before closing the July 12 piece on Americans who evade jury duty, GMA reporter John Berman divulged another fact about Ms. Sawyer. She’s the individual who explains the rules to New York jurors:

7:34am

John Berman: "For those who do show up, in New York at least, there are some treats."

Diane Sawyer [From a New York instructional video]: "Hi, I’m Diane Sawyer and I’m going to take you through the way it really is, what you can expect when you sit on a jury."

Berman: "Now, we don’t know if the man in Massachusetts had the benefit of that inspirational video."