00:00 What do you advise parents on how to filter all this tragic news for their kids?
00:05 It's hard because it's hard for adults to filter it much less children
00:08 I think that having three kids of my own and certainly they were young when 9/11 happened
00:13 And we treated it differently with each one our youngest daughter Lily
00:17 She would need to know everything that was going on. She wasn't glued to the television. What was she she was at that time?
00:24 I think she was seven
00:26 Okay, but nowadays even at that age. I mean that wasn't you know jump ahead to now and even seven-year-olds are now processing
00:33 A lot of information earlier more so than they did then but um I think if a child is young really young
00:40 I don't think you want to share
00:42 This certainly not this kind of a story because it's it's too overwhelming
00:46 And I think when a child is older and exposed to it. I think it's important to let them know
00:52 I mean clearly bad things happen in this world, but that you're their parent you are there to protect them
00:57 And they are safe with you
00:59 It does seem to me that at almost any age kids are gonna hear about this
01:03 You probably want to have your filter on it as a parent, but that becomes a challenge in how I delivered
01:08 How about for adults?
01:09 I mean it's some point even for an adult that becomes traumatic and this is gonna be in the news 24/7 for a while
01:14 And sir is there a guide you give not just as a journalist or I'll get to in a second
01:19 But as a mom as a woman what you think is rational I?
01:22 Right now. I'm at a loss to be honest with you because this is overwhelming this number of children to be killed
01:30 It's just I can't I can't process it because it doesn't make any sense
01:33 And I think you could sit here for days and and weeks and months and never quite
01:38 Understand why why someone would do something like this um, but you know all you can do is um I think grieve
01:45 because that's natural and
01:48 Come together with other people. I think community is very important at a time like this
01:52 The journalist was reported on events of this danger although. This is uniquely tragic
01:58 How does it wear on you where does how do you deal with that obligation to tell the story, but not get destroyed?
02:05 Yeah, well, it's interesting one of the first stories that I covered when I was working for the today show was Virginia Tech
02:10 Oh, which was awful and we went there and first you have your journalism hat on and you just have to tell the story you
02:16 Have to give the facts you have to be calm
02:18 Because the audience that you're talking to is very very upset
02:23 And so you have to be very delicate about the way you deliver the news
02:26 But but straightforward as well, and that's what we did the first day the second day
02:30 They had a candlelight vigil and the all these students were there, and I was I was there not even covering it
02:35 I just went to to be part of it and these kids started coming up to me
02:39 And they were crying and they said can would would you just give us a hug and in that moment?
02:45 I realized that they when they're off at college. They connected to us on the today show
02:49 I'm sure they did with GMA and every other show and TV as
02:53 almost a
02:55 Parental figure something they could watch her did that they felt they knew and they couldn't hug their mother their father
03:00 And they were scared
03:01 And I can't tell you how much that affected me and brought that story home to me in a much different way and as a journalist
03:07 But as a mom
03:08 But how do you cope then I mean you're you're absorbing?
03:11 all this pain
03:14 Because you are their mom in many ways or their sister
03:16 Daughter in some cases. I guess I try. I mean I'm pretty sensitive and I cry easily
03:21 so I tried to turn it around that somehow you use this pain to sensitize yourself to the
03:27 Be more compassionate to other people because otherwise you're just gonna crawl into a hole
03:32 And this is at a high level what obligation do you think news organizations have to the story?
03:37 How did they tastefully and it is such a difficult dance?
03:40 You know fulfill your obligation to portray the news
03:43 But also protect people from especially from people who are watching who aren't stable who might actually want to copycat what they're saying
03:50 I don't know how you stop that to be honest with you as a journalist
03:54 I mean if somebody is crazy and hell-bent on doing something so irrational. I'm not sure that you can stop it
03:59 You know they have people who get through metal detectors and and do crazy things
04:04 I mean how this guy who goes into the school with a highly good going in with a gun the whole thing
04:08 I don't know the that is a journalist
04:10 I could stop a copycat killing
04:13 But I think you have to be very responsible the way that you cover the news you have to know your facts before you
04:17 Yes, start talking about things
04:19 Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for watching. Don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications
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