Bob Schieffer Receives Fred Friendly First Amendment Award At Luncheon

By Brian 

A spy offers this recap of Quinnipiac’s Fred Friendly First Amendment Award luncheon:

Bob Schieffer must be excited. First CBS takes #2 from World News Tonight, then he accepts the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award from Quinnipiac University at the Metropolitan Club in New York.

Bob accepted the award from Lou Adler, a former CBS Radio Broadcaster in New York. Bob thanked many in the audience including Tom Brokaw, Brian Williams, and legendary journalist Walter Cronkite.

Bob said in his acceptance speech (paraphrased, not quoted): technology is changing the way journalists work. That each new administration gets more secretive than the previous because they learn from the previous administration what to do better. Bob also said that what makes a democracy great is freedom and the freedom to report for the public to decide on the stories journalists report. That the government should not be trying to scare journalists with grand juries and eavesdropping on conversations to get confidential sources.

Overall it was a great luncheon. It was better than last year’s, Tim Russert, who rushed out. Bob stayed and talked to everyone who wanted a word and a handshake.

Also at the lunch was NBC’s Ann Curry, CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus, WNBC’s Chuck Scarborough and Sean Ushery and widow of Fred Friendly, Ruth. Absent from the Luncheon was Elizabeth Vargas who I am sure was invited. Not many ABC News people were in the room…”

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