popular thinking

The longtime frontman for PBS News, Jim Lehrer, is fun to talk to. I had the chance to chat with him on the phone earlier this week, and some of that conversation ran in today's Boston Herald. But there's plenty more. For one thing, the 72-year-old uses some salty language. That's nice to know. For another thing, we have a couple of mutual connections. One of his NewsHour Web experts, Leah Clapman, went to college with me and we traveled in the same small circles. And one of his best journalism friends, Roger Mudd, taught Leah and me in Mudd's first-ever stab at teaching (twas a seminar on politics and the press, held during the fall of 1992, which had a highpoint when we all watched Election Night coverage on multiple TVs with Mudd, pizzas and beer). But I digress.

Jim Lehrer and I talked a bit about his upcoming PBS special, Free Speech, and the state of the journalism industry.

On the notion that the Bush White House is particularly dodgy with the press: "I've been here a long time. Every White House has had a problem with the press. It's not something that I give a lot of time worrying about."

On the rumors following the 2004 Bush-Kerry debate, moderated by Lehrer, that a mysterious bulge in Bush's back hid communications equipment: "I was right there. It seemed to me it was just a bulge in his back. It was not the focus of my attention...I haven't heard much about it since then."

On Bob Schieffer making way for Katie Couric at the helm of the CBS Evening News and the notion of celebrity journalists: "Schieffer and I started out as newspapermen...We came here together and we're friends. As we joke, nobody ever accused us of being pretty faces."

On his talk with Bradlee and the future for Free Speech: "We're going to see what happens. I talked to him for maybe four and a half, five hours. (Note: One hour airs on PBS) We'll put it (all) out later this summer, make it available to kids, journalism students."

On what newspapers can do to survive (Bradlee's answer: "Stories. Good stories."). Lehrer agreed: "Absolutely. He's saying the same thing I was saying. We just need to stay in the story business. Because no one can touch us. No one else is in that business."