Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer (born February 25, 1937 in Austin, Texas) has been a journalist with CBS News since 1969, serving as a principal anchor since 1973, chief Washington correspondent since 1982, moderator of the Sunday public affairs show Face the Nation since 1991, and, beginning in March of 2005, interim anchor of the CBS Evening News. Katie Couric, formerly of NBC's Today show, will succeed Schieffer as anchor in September 2006.

Schieffer is one of the few journalists to have covered all four of the major Washington national assignments, the White House, The Pentagon, United States Department of State, and United States Congress. His career with CBS has almost exclusively dealt with national politics.

In 2004, he was the moderator of the third presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry.

Schieffer is married and has two children.

Education

Bob Schieffer is a Texas Christian University alumnus, and an alumnus of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. The journalism school at TCU was later named after him.

Early career

Before joining CBS News, he was a reporter for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram and for WBAP in Fort Worth, and covered the JFK Assassination.

Rise to the anchor's desk

He was anchor of the Sunday version of the CBS Evening News from 1973 to 1976 and of the Saturday version from then until 1996.

In the wake of Dan Rather's clouded retirement, he was named interim anchor for the weekday CBS Evening News. He assumed that job on March 10 2005, the day following Rather's last broadcast. Under Schieffer, the CBS Evening News has reversed some of the decline in ratings during Rather's tenure, gaining about 200,000 viewers, although remaining in third place. Some of this has been attributed to the Schieffer family's closeness with President George W. Bush; Bush had previously refused to grant an interview to Rather. Schieffer has since been closing the gap with ABC's World News Tonight when co-anchor Bob Woodruff was injured in late January 2006. Schieffer has been offered a commentator position on the CBS Evening News this fall when Katie Couric arrives in the anchor chair to replace him.

Schieffer has been praised by longtime CBS anchor Walter Cronkite and some others for his style.

He also is associated with WJZ-TV.

Books

Schieffer has written two books about his career in journalism: 'Face the Nation : My Favorite Stories from the First 50 Years of the Award-Winning News Broadcast, and This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV. He is a regular guest on the Don Imus morning radio show.

Family

Schieffer is the older brother of Tom Schieffer, a friend and former business partner of President George W. Bush, who was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Australia 2001-2005 by President Bush and as of November, 2005 is currently the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.

Legacy

Despite the trend of the last 30 years of news anchors being big media stars, Schieffer has bucked this trend by maintaining his focus on his roots as a reporter and writer. In his most recent memoir, Schieffer credits the fact he has been a beat reporter at CBS for his longevity at the network and his lack of involvements in the office politics of TV journalism.

In This Just In, Schieffer noted a rare off-camera appearance in the comics. After fellow CBS newscaster and Texan Dan Rather was switched from the White House beat to hosting the documentary show CBS Reports in 1974, the Doonesbury comic strip featured a joking fantasy scene in which Schieffer, his successor, haltingly comments on the transition:

It was the affiliates --they just couldn't take him. I mean let's face it, Dan wasn't exactly MR. TACT!. I dunno...Maybe it's just as well in the long run, I mean, you know? Anyway, this is Robert Schieffer at the White House...

Schieffer's recollection of the comic strip for This Just In contains this postscript: "The strip was right on except for one thing. My real name is Bob, not Robert." And he noted wife Pat's reaction to the drawing: "Who would have thought you'd be the star of television and the funny papers?"

Opinions

Schieffer is an outspoken opponent of the Electoral College system. He also supports the war in Iraq and feels that it was justified.

External links

Stephen Colbert Interview March 6th 2006
CBS News Bio
Bob Schieffer at the Notable Names Database

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