It must be nice for a major news network to self-congratulate itself by bringing on someone to give them an award. Such was the case on Wednesday April 3, when “CBS This Morning” brought on Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Ira Glass to present co-host Charlie Rose with a Peabody Award for an interview he conducted with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
Hunter-Gault hyped the “surprise” she had for Rose before proclaiming that “This amazing get of one of the arch villains of the world whom you treated with respect and yet you didn't back off, you pressed him, and we all got to see what this man is made of and how he thinks.” [See video below.]
Co-host Gayle King beamed at how “It was surely the biggest journalistic glimpse of 2013” and ridiculously asserted that it was Rose that helped to give “us a look into the mind of the world’s most vicious warmongers. A glimpse of banality and evil so brave to you.” The entire CBS crew cheered on Rose with Hunter-Gault expressing the most emotion after announcing Rose’s award.
For a little context, the 2013 interview with Assad featured Rose memorably proclaiming, “When I first interviewed you, there was talk of 'Bashar al-Assad – he's the hope. He's the reformer.' That's not what they say anymore.”
In the eyes of Hunter-Gault and King, it was Rose’s interview with Al-Assad that made Americans aware of how awful Syrian dictator was, not the actual actions which have made him one of the world’s most ruthless leaders. All that was missing was for Rose to give his formal acceptance speech as he accepted his Peabody on the set of "CBS This Morning."
See relevant transcript below.
CBS
CBS This Morning
April 2, 2014
8:38 a.m. Eastern
GAYLE KNG: Television news program. What is that?
CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: We have another surprise for you, Charlie. Assad. This amazing get of one of the arch villains of the world whom you treated with respect and yet you didn't back off, you pressed him, and we all got to see what this man is made of and how he thinks.GAYLE KING: I just have to read this part.
CHARLIE ROSE: Thank you, thank you.
KING: It was surely the biggest journalistic get of 2013. CBS This Morning Charlie Rose sat down with Syrian President Assad. Under Rose's polite but persistent questioning—HUNTER-GAULT: Yes.
KING: Assad gave us a look into the mind of one of the world’s most vicious warmongers. A glimpse of banality and evil so bravo to you.
HUNTER-GAULT- Surprise. Yay!
ROSE: Thank you.
KING: Bravo to you.
ROSE: Thank you, thank you. I never submit application for awards. I don't know how these things happen but thank you very much.
KING: But we're happy it happened.ROSE:
KING: We’re very happy it happened. That was so exciting.
ROSE: Thank you. Jeff Fager and Paul Needham who went with me really contributed to that.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Congratulations. Well done.
ROSE: Thank you.
