History is being made Monday night on the CBS Evening News. Norah O'Donnell will be just the second woman to anchor the evening newscast solo.
Yolanda and I sat down with her in our studio recently for an interview. She told us growing up in San Antonio her family had two traditions on Sunday: Church and 60 Minutes.
News and information mattered in the O’Donnell household. She says it prompted her to pursue a career in journalism. She covered the White House, the Pentagon and six Presidents before co-anchoring CBS This Morning.
She's aware of the legacy and tradition that precedes her on the CBS Evening News desk.
“Walter Cronkite anchored that newscast for 22 years,” said O’Donnell. “He was known as the most trusted voice in America. I think that's why people still today revere the CBS Evening News, because people want and crave an independent source of news.”
Her favorite quote from Cronkite is: “Journalism is what we need to make Democracy work.” As managing editor of the newscast and the lead anchor for the network's 2020 Presidential Election Coverage, O’Donnell says sorting fact from fiction is incredibly important.
“I think there's an erosion of truth and trust between the press and the politicians they cover and that's got to change. We can by reestablishing that trust and respect," she said.
O’Donnell will continue to be a contributor to 60 Minutes the top-rated and longest-running news magazine on television.