Diane Sawyer

I love the early process of asking questions about a story and deciding which questions matter most.

I don’t know why I’m saying I’m brave.

People assume you can’t be shy and be on television. They’re wrong.

People tend to vote the present tense – not the subjective.

If you’re curious, you’ll probably be a good journalist because we follow our curiosity like cats.

The one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.

American Idol, I love. I think it’s a passing fancy but not passing so soon.

I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.

The interesting thing is always to see if you can find a fact that will change your mind about something, to test and see if you can.

An investigation may take six months. A quick interview, profile, a day.

We did exactly what everybody in the country did, watching it. You entered this state of sort of denials. You think, well, it must have been a tragic accident by an amateur pilot. And then you see the next plane coming.

I have a contract but it’s not a commitment in the ordinary sense. It’s our ongoing conversation.

I don’t think it’s about entertainment. I think it’s about being ourselves.

Hope changes everything, doesn’t it?

I have a liberal definition of news because I think news can be what excites people. I’m not very sanctimonious about what news is and isn’t.

I’m always fascinated by the way memory diffuses fact.

Every time somebody tries to go in and reinvent what we do, it always ends up being more about technology and sets, and flash and dash, forgetting the main thing, which is interesting people saying interesting, important things.

Start in a small TV station so you can make all of your embarrassing mistakes early and in front of fewer people!

I like talking. I didn’t know at the time I would have to worry so much about my hair.

Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too. Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have an equal right to it.

I get involved in the beginning, less in the middle, and very much at the end.

Great questions make great reporting.

I’m not sure people are ever completely comfortable telling pollsters what they do and don’t think.

Follow what you are genuinely passionate about and let that guide you to your destination.

The most fun is getting paid to learn things.

Part of this new world of completely improvisational terrorism is that there were codes of war that disintegrated in the face of terrorism.