CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King appeared on James Corden’s The Late Late Show on CBS early Thursday morning to talk about race relations, George Floyd, and President Trump’s relationship with the media. King had some eye-opening things to say about the media bias and fake news; she recommended people do “their own diligence” and “research” before believing what they hear from the media.
At the same time, she had to emphasize that her own network was above the rest in terms of professionalism and vetting sources before running stories.
Towards the end of the interview, host James Corden tried to get King to complain about Trump calling the media, ‘fake news.’ He acted as if the media had never faced accusations of bias until recently, then said that Trump was just projecting because he spreads fake news all the time:
[F]ake news wasn't something that any of us even-- it wasn't even a saying any of us really used six years ago. And now we are in this era of fake news, where the President of the United States, you will find him on his Twitter feed peddling stories which aren't true, saying things which almost certainly don't seem to be true. How do you as a news anchor and a news organization, how do you combat that when you are deciding what to report or what not to report?
King actually didn’t focus on Trump as much as she did on the importance of getting the news right. She even claimed that when Trump says ‘fake news’ it doesn’t bother her because she knows he isn’t talking about CBS News because they try to be as accurate as possible.
She also argued that audiences should vet their own news sources and do their own research before believing what the media says:
Well, I think our president is often loose with the truth but this is the thing at CBS, what we pride ourselves on is giving you the news and letting you make your own decisions, that said you have to do your own due diligence. If you rely on networks from one extreme to the other, and that's all you listen to, you will have a very skewed view of what is happening in the world. So I think, I also don't think you can rely on one news source these days because they are all so different. But you can find networks that you trust. You can do your own due diligence, and do your own research and make your own opinions. I find most viewers who are watching our show are really smart and really very informed. So when I hear him say 'fake news', I just sit there and go oh, is he not talking about us, I never feel that. We double, triple check. We have had times where we are on the air and I will say but so and so is reporting this, so and so happened, well, we haven't confirmed it ourselves. We have to double, triple check and that has saved us believe it or not on more than one occasion. I am okay with it, we would much rather be right and second than first and wrong. And that is something that we live by.
These are surprising words to hear from the news host who is a Democrat donor and frequently injects her own politics into CBS This Morning’s coverage. Her message here about people coming to their own conclusions about the media seems to be the polar opposite of when she told Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg in March that Facebook should censor political ads.
Corden attempted to goad King again, after not getting the Trump-bashing answer he wanted. He brought up the president’s tiff with grandstanding CBS White House correspondent Weijia Jiang. Corden gushed to King, how do you remain “so calm and collected” when Trump goes after CBS reporters?
King admitted that she does get defensive for her colleagues sometimes when the president “belittles and berates” them because he “doesn’t like a question.” But she reiterated the need to be professional and “let the audience make their own decision” even when she has wanted to stand up for her colleagues and apologize to them on President Trump’s behalf.
She added that she knows the audience doesn’t want to know her opinion: “And so it bothers me but again, that is not my job and sometimes I have to be reminded. People don't want to hear your opinion. You are here to deliver the news.”
Read the transcript, below:
The Late Late Show with James Corden
6/11/2020
JAMES CORDEN:I want to talk to you about doing the news every day, in an era of fake news. At a moment where, I don't-- fake news wasn't something that any of us even-- it wasn't even a saying any of us really used six years ago. And now we are in this era of fake news, where the President of the United States, you will find him on his Twitter feed peddling stories which aren't true, saying things which almost certainly don't seem to be true. How do you as a news anchor and a news organization, how do you combat that when you are deciding what to report or what not to report?
GAYLE KING: Well, I think our president is often loose with the truth but this is the thing at CBS, what we pride ourselves on is giving you the news and letting you make your own decisions, that said you have to do your own due diligence. If you rely on networks from one extreme to the other, and that's all you listen to, you will have a very skewed view of what is happening in the world. So I think, I also don't think you can rely on one news source these days because they are all so different. But you can find networks that you trust. You can do your own due diligence, and do your own research and make your own opinions. I find most viewers who are watching our show are really smart and really very informed.
So when I hear him say 'fake news', I just sit there and go oh, is he not talking about us, I never feel that. We double, triple check. We have had times where we are on the air and I will say but so and so is reporting this, so and so happened, well, we haven't confirmed it ourselves. We have to double, triple check and that has saved us believe it or not on more than one occasion. I am okay with it, we would much rather be right and second then first and wrong. And that is something that we live by.
CORDEN: But when you see the way that the president, I mean--there’s been some instances with CBS journalists, I think it was Weijia Jiang.
KING: Yes and Paula Reid.
CORDEN: When she talked about China, when it is coming back to you in the studio, how do you not just, when I know, as I know your blood would be boiling.
KING: It was.
CORDEN: How do you do that as an anchor, do you just always remain so calm and collected?
KING: It was, James, I bite the inside of my lip and just continue on. And that has been very difficult. Because I thought Weijia and both Paula were insulted. By that is what he does though, if he doesn't like a question, then he belittles, he berates, he tries to devalue whatever the reporter is saying. And that is very difficult, and you know, it is not for me to-- I have to stand up for weijia or stand up for Paula we always try to keep the game face on, keep it professional and let the audience make their own decision. And I think in most cases they can see. But it is very difficult. A couple of times I wanted to say to both Weijia and Paula, I'm so sorry that that happened to you. You did not deserve to be treated that way.
KING: You know, it's funny that you should even ask me this because- a couple of times in my head they will say Gayle, careful, careful.
CORDEN: Right.
KING: Gayle, careful. [laughs] I mean, so I do struggle with it because we are human beings.
CORDEN: Sure.
KING: And so it bothers me but again, that is not my job and sometimes I have to be reminded. People don't want to hear your opinion. You are here to deliver the news. But you're right, I do struggle with it, you are absolutely right.
