Frank Sesno Says, "The State of the Fourth Estate is a Mess; Questions are the Answer"

Building on last week’s episode with Carl Cameron from Fox News, part two offers a behind-the-scenes look at journalism’s devolution on Media Roundtable, with Frank Sesno, the Emmy Award-Winning, CNN Washington Bureau Chief, and Director at George Washington University. Frank IS journalistic integrity in human form. He presided over the end of an era at CNN and bemoans the current state of the fourth estate, declaring, “It’s a Mess.”

Frank discusses his experience as a career journalist and the decline in focus on facts before ratings while recounting his direction to reporters during his time at CNN, asking them to “Avoid two words when live on the air, ‘I Think.’” Frank believes we lack curiosity in the media and in our culture, prioritizing assertions and accusations over investigation. Diving into the on-going challenge of urgency over accuracy, he says we use “Too many exclamation points and not enough question marks.”

Frank acknowledges both sides are to blame for our polarized state, with bib throwers on the right and the existence of left-wing media bias, which has been met with defensiveness instead of accountability. Going on to add he “loves opinion”, but in order to have a healthy, engaged and informed culture, opinion should be based on fact, or it becomes very dangerous.

Toward the end of the episode, Frank has strong thoughts on the difficulty brands face to reach a divided populace but sees a profound opportunity for those who will embrace a values-based approach and develop “over the horizon” strategies about who they want to be and why. 

As the author of,Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors,Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change, it’s evident Frank is passionate about questions, making a compelling case for curiosity as a cure for what ails us. You can hear more from him in his new PBS special,Peril & Promise, as well as on his podcast,Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic. 
You will leave this episode enlightened but also sad that Frank may be a remnant of a bygone era of journalism that truly sought truth with humility. The silver lining here is that Frank plays a crucial role in helping train journalists of the future through his work with GWU.

Listen to the Episode