Gayle King

摘要

GAYLE KING couldn't stand it any longer. It was a Saturday in mid-June, and King, who is both the co-host of CBS This Morning and editor-at-large for O: The Oprah Magazine, felt overwhelmed by images of tragedy. Stories of parents being ripped away from their children, the ridiculous claims that the Trump administration's new "zero tolerance" immigration policy at the U.S.-Mexico border had created some kind of "summer camp" atmosphere for kids and the cries that any more empathetic reports on the subject were "fake news." She called Ryan Kadro, executive producer at CBS This Morning, and a plan was set in place for King to quickly fly with a team to the scene and begin reporting, to get as close to the truth as possible. "She turned the entire news organization into this mission," Kadro recalled. "She was the first network anchor to report from the border, and that Monday morning, we brought attention to a situation that was waiting for that catalyst and that moment." The results were stunning, not only for the harrowing interviews with emotionally and physically exhausted detainees, and the reality of crying children kept in what amounted to cages, but for King's dogged presentation of the stories. She came across, in essence, as the conscience of a better America. As part of her heartfelt report, she said, on-air, "The Statue of Liberty is weeping today." "She was down there, pushing tirelessly in pursuit of an important story," said Diana Miller, senior broadcast producer for CBS' morning news show. "Gail never does anything halfway." The effort and empathy, and the push of justice, all come as no surprise to anyone who works with King, who currently sits alongside co-hosts Norah O'Donnell, John Dickerson and Bianna Golodryga at the CBS morning news desk. Behind them on-set is the map Walter Cronkite used in reports King's father made her watch as a kid. She feels the connection and kinship deeply, especially in these stressful times. "I want things to be fair," King said. "It's gotten so vitriolic, so partisan in this country. But regardless of your political persuasion or your racial ethnicity, I just want things to be fair."