The “CBS This Morning” broadcast takes its mission of bringing real news to morning television so seriously that the show mentions it in every promotion. While the current team of co-hosts -- Norah O'Donnell, Gayle King, and John Dickerson -- remain a united front in that mission, each broadcaster brings a unique personality and perspective to their reporting, and there are times when authentic emotion conveys what words can never express.
Last fall, Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King courageously came forward and spoke purely from the heart amid the sexual assault scandal involving Charlie Rose.
This morning, June 7, brought another moving offering of touching emotion, for very different and real reasons that spoke to millions.
Gayle gets up close and personal
Being ready to make things happen on cue for two full hours every morning is a daunting task, and one of the things that endears Gayle King to viewers is that she's not afraid to ask a question, speak her mind, or correct any misspoken word. That ability and vulnerability make her all the more accessible to her audience, and this morning, she and best friend Oprah Winfrey toured the new Smithsonian exhibit honoring the impact of Winfrey's 25 years in television.
The accumulation of daily broadcasts and topics of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” alone was astounding, covering one solid wall in multicolored writing.
The unexpected memories brought the deepest reaction from Gayle and her closest colleague, such as a handwritten page before Oprah Winfrey “went national,” and seeing herself “without a smidge of makeup” in her first news broadcast in Baltimore.
The unassuming display that elicited the deepest response was a book of visitor comments.
One of the entries read that Winfrey “is the reason I love myself so fiercely,” and other remarks reflected a similar appreciation of being given a voice because of the television icon. “That's what makes me cry,” Oprah gushed.
The two best friends shared an embrace at the exhibit, but it was a candid moment shared by Gayle King about her ride to the museum that was the most touching.
She related how her driver discovered that she was going to the Smithsonian to discuss Oprah Winfrey’s life. He explained how he came to the US as an immigrant, and even though he spoke no English, he could feel “what a good human” Winfrey was. Gayle King cried as she realized that being a good human was Oprah Winfrey's true legacy.
This was so moving. Never seen Gayle cry before 😭 https://t.co/1yqIEv6Pi7
— Norah O'Donnell🇺🇸 (@NorahODonnell) June 7, 2018
Michelle Miller’s moment of thanks
Another deeply poignant moment came later when longtime correspondent Michelle Miller reflected on her interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The conversation was held at the memorial service for Kennedy’s father, marking this year as the 50th anniversary since his assassination.
The on-air topics dealt with what perspectives Robert F. Kennedy would have on today's politics, and the focus of his son’s book, “American Values.” The recent calls from some of Robert F. Kennedy's children to reopen the case of his assassination brought a deeply personal recollection and an opportunity for thanks that brought Miller to tears.
Michelle Miller's father, Dr. Ross Miller, a trauma physician, was the first person to treat Robert F. Kennedy after the fatal gunshots, and several years ago, Miller received a photograph of her father on the scene, as proof that he was there. The newscaster became emotional as she shared that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. privately thanked her for her father's dedicated treatment of his father, and she, in turn, thanked him for his father's service to the country, and for recognizing her dad.
Sometimes, hard news has to yield to heartfelt emotion, and those genuine moments make television worthwhile.
