The curtain opened on a sunny September afternoon. Ann Compton had just arrived with then President George W. Bush in Florida via Air Force One to listen to elementary students read stories to the President.
As the children read, a secretary leaned into the president’s ear and whispered, “America is under attack.” The president’s reaction shocked and stunned the people present and aware of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
The President had no reaction; his face revealed no emotion or thoughts. Bush, still stone-faced, motioned the secretary away to let the children finish their stories. As the last child finished their last word, the President rushed with his staff back to Air Force One.
Planning to leave the White House correspondents and other non-essential people in Florida, Ann Compton managed to convince security that the public needed to be aware that the President was safe and still at the helm. Compton and one other correspondent were allowed to accompany the group on the aircraft, all other non-essential personal were removed.
As the San Joaquin Valley Town Hall speaker, Ann Compton detailed her experiences during 9/11 as part of her lecture for the day, Jan. 20. The events that unfolded for the journalist were vividly depicted to the audience, the emotion of the turmoil and heartache conveyed.
Managing to get exclusive coverage on one of the most prolific stories of the decade and performing her duties as journalist to the letter, Ann Compton described the experience of Sept. 11, 2001, as more than just another sensational story.
“The day after all the commotion on Air Force One is when I realized how little I actually knew,” Compton said. “The first call I received was from my sons at Vanderbilt University. Their fraternity brother was working on a internship at 93rd floor of the World Trade Center. A day of crashing steel and fighter jets off the coast and global crisis now suddenly had a human face. I sat down, and I cried.”
Compton’s time as a White House correspondent revealed a wide breadth of information to the journalist. Covering seven different presidents for ABC News, the journalist saw their rises to the position, the end of their terms, and the influence they wielded during their time in power.
“One year from today President Barack Obama will leave the Oval Office and a new President will take the oath of office and be sworn in,” Compton said. “It was 35 years ago today that I was covering the inauguration of Ronald Reagan and we got news that as he took the oath of office, the American hostages that had beed held hostage by Iran were on an airplane back to America.”
The day after all the commotion on Air Force One is when I realized how little I actually knew. The first call I received was from my sons at Vanderbilt University. Their fraternity brother was working on a internship at 93rd floor of the World Trade Center. A day of crashing steel and fighter jets off the coast and global crisis now suddenly had a human face. I sat down, and I cried. — Ann Compton
In seeing so many presidents and their rise and fall, Compton proposes that second-terms never end as well as they were intended too.
“I have to ask, what genius would want a second term as President?” Compton said. “They come to no good. Poor Richard Nixon, but all of you probably know about Watergate. Bill Clinton was also a two-term President, he was impeached during his second go at the presidency. Second terms just seem to be a problem for people.”
Compton began her career as one of the first female White House correspondents at the age of 27, also making her one of the youngest journalists to attain the position. Now retired, Compton believes that journalism is changing at fast pace.
“Last year that marked 41 years at the same journalism job that I had, and I told my friend Fred that I will sit at home with my coffee each morning and read the Washington Post,” Compton said. “The one thing I didn’t count on was it would be with a MacBook on my lap. Digital media provides immediate coverage for an event happening as it happens, providing coverage print simply could not. Print will still be viable for its depth of the coverage of a story and its accuracy.”
Though digital platforms have become the bread and butter of news broadcasters, Compton proposes that there are still dangers for the public to in put complete trust in what is shown on the Internet.
“Though news is more easily accessed than it has ever been there is a chance the facts have not been checked,” Compton said. “In print everything had to be accurate and true before it ran, now digital platforms can misrepresent the facts or get it simply wrong. This makes it important to establish multiple sources of information instead of relying on one source.”
Compton believes that with the changes to journalism as a whole will allow people to pursue jobs that have not previously existed before.
“For young journalists there are many new paths in to journalism then there used to be,” Compton said. “The opportunities online provide new jobs and ways to get into media, the issue is that not everyone fact checks.”
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As a devote journalist, Compton states that it is the duty of the media to report unbiased news about the government and reveal the truth to the public.
“We have in this digital age given everyone the tools to be journalists and reporters,” Compton said. “Everyone in the world has a smart phone capable of taking photos, writing a short couple sentences, and then publishing it to the Internet for everyone to see. It is important that as journalists we pursue and share the truth.”
Through the tale of her life, Compton has shown that the pursuit of truth is one of the noblest pursuits and one of the most rewarding. As news become more available to the masses it is important that the individuals develop multiple sources to avoid manipulation. The purpose of the news and journalists is to reveal the truth; the public too should aspire to a similar purpose. In today’s day in age, everyone can be a journalist.
For more reputable media sources, check out the Drudge Report, CNN, New York Times, Politico, and BBC.
For more articles about the SJV lecture series, please read Sir Ken Robinson speaks, shares message in Fresno.
This author can be reached via Twitter: @RRoggenstein or [email protected]
