Anderson Cooper, anchor of Anderson Cooper 360˚ and correspondent of 60 Minutes, gave a lecture on his experiences in reporting across the globe and on being in the national spotlight.
The lecture was accompanied by a Q&A Sunday night at IU’s Musical Arts Center as a part of the Lou Mervis Distinguished Lecture series.
Cooper has been reporting around the world for the past 27 years without any formal journalism education. Cooper graduated from Yale in 1989 with a degree in political science but said he had always been inspired by war correspondents, traveling and telling stories.
Cooper was able to get his first official story by faking a press pass and sneaking into Myanmar to tell the story of students fighting against the government.
“I knew then that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Cooper said.
Since the inception of his journalistic career in Myanmar, Cooper has traveled and reported in more than 50 countries. He traveled to Somalia in 1992 and witnessed war and famine. He told a story of a mother and father who watched all four of their sons die. Cooper said he was reminded of the importance of journalism in Somalia.
“I could not stop the starvation, and I couldn’t save people’s lives, but I could bear witness to their struggles," Cooper said. "I could learn their names and tell their stories."
Even though Cooper witnessed some of the darkest things while reporting abroad, he said he also saw the best in humanity. Cooper spoke about how he saw everyday people put their own lives at risk to help others during events such as Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Japan and the earthquakes in Haiti.
“In the midst of tragedies and disasters, I've seen so many acts of bravery and selflessness by individuals,” Cooper said.
However, Cooper said he also saw how easy it is for institutions we see as rock solid to crumble completely. Searching for the answer to stop this from happening, Cooper said he found the answer right here in the motto of IU, “Lux et Veritas,” which means Light and Truth. These are the two values we must hold dear, Cooper said.
Cooper said we live in a time where news is called fake and journalists are called enemies of the people. In a generation where there has never been more access to information, it is more important than ever to know where information is coming from and where the facts are checked, he said. It has never been more important to be an intelligent consumer.
“Too often I think we dwell on the things that separate us rather than the bonds that tie us to one another,” Cooper said. “Those bonds are at the core of who we are.”
Correction: The original headline in this story misnamed the lecture series. The IDS regrets this error.
