CBS News' Pat Milton Receives FMC Lifetime Achievement Award

FMC Fast Chat takes you inside the news so you can be in the know in 30 minutes. Hosted by Fair Media Council CEO and Executive Director Jaci Clement, Fast Chat features notables in news, media, and business.

Hi, this is Jaci Clement, and this is a bonus episode of FMC Fast Chat. Where we take you inside the Fair Media Council's Folio Awards, which celebrates the best in news. This year, our Lifetime Achievement Award for National News was presented to CBS News' Pat Milton, an extraordinary journalist and an exceptional human being. Take a listen now as we join the program already in progress with CBS News Chief Investigative Correspondent Jim Axelrod. Introducing his friend and colleague, Pat Milton.

It is such a pleasure to be here for this special event. Now, look, I don't have too many rules that govern my professional life, but those I do have, I adhere to rigidly. So don't spend one more night in a hotel than you have to. Don't fly in or out of JFK Unless you have to. Don't drive the Cross Island Parkway unless you have to. It's got to be a pretty big deal for me to deal with the Cross Island Parkway. The Fair Media Council Folio Awards? Big deal. A Lifetime Achievement Award? Big, big deal. The chance to honor our own Pat Milton? The deals don't get bigger than that. Yes. CBS News investigative super producer Pat Milton is a very big deal. Now, speaking of big deals, you're going to hear from Susan Zirinsky in a moment, and Z is going to delve a little bit more into Pat's impressive body of work. But just to summarize, My God, what a resume. I'm not sure there has been a major story in the last several decades that Pat hasn't had a hand in reporting. At CBS News for the last 15 years, specializing in national security, the FBI, the intelligence community, and federal law enforcement, and the Associated Press for 2 decades prior to that. Sandy Hook, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Parkland High School shooting, El Chapo, the fentanyl crisis, 9/11, TWA Flight 800, just to mention a very few. She's a 2-time AP Reporter of the Year in New York, inducted into the Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame in 2019. And if that's not enough, she's also a lawyer licensed to practice in New York and Washington. But as I say, Z will tell you a lot more about that. For me, any discussion of Pat Milton starts with her Rolodex. It is the single most impressive Rolodex I've come across in 34 years of reporting. Seriously, Jaci, next year the Fair Media Council should consider giving a Lifetime Achievement Award to Pat's Rolodex. Now, you can't fool me. I see some dazed and confused looks on the younger journalists in the crowd. Rolodex. Call your parents on the way home. They want to hear from you, and they can tell you what a Rolodex is. But I'm very serious about this, honoring her Rolodex. Let me digress here just for a moment. About 6 months ago, when Jess Kigoo and I started reporting on the Pentagon's troubling performance addressing veterans targeted for their sexuality, even after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. We needed to get someone who'd be part of— who had been part of that process of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell to tell us what they thought about it. We needed someone of heft, someone of gravity, who might make the Pentagon sit up and take notice. It was tricky. I mean, who's going to say, sure, I'll sit down on camera to discuss a shameful chapter of something I have some responsibility for? So we're on a Zoom call with the CBS News Investigative Unit, and we're going around throwing out names. Who can we get? Who can we get? Who can we get? Maybe a half dozen of those names at the very top of the list would charitably be described As aspirational, meaning no way. Good idea, but no way are they going to talk to us. At the top of the list, the very top of the list of people we wanted to talk to was Leon Panetta. I mean, he'd been the Secretary of Defense when the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy had been repealed. Now, honestly, the thought bubble over my head was, yeah, right. The thought bubble over Pat Milton's head was, let me make a call. 10 minutes after we got off the Zoom, I get an email from Pat. So what day and time works? Secretary Panetta's scheduler wants to know. Classic. Nice Rolodex you got there, Pat. Now, you all know the rule in the news business.

Sometimes—

often newsrooms breed some interesting personalities. And by interesting, I mean aggressive or rough or even acerbic. I mean, pushing up against powerful folks who want to see you get hit by a bus tends to breed those kinds of personality characteristics. And often those difficult personalities produce outstanding results. And historically— I'm not saying it's right, but historically, because of that, Those interesting personalities, well, the parts that are most interesting sometimes get looked past because, well, Leon Panetta. So again, Pat's Rolodex would entitle her to be an absolute monster. But here's what I want everyone to understand this afternoon about Pat Milton. To me, the most important, valuable, and rarest part of Pat's excellence that we are recognizing and honoring this afternoon is that she is just as fine a human being as she is a journalist. She might even be a better human being. And you know how good a journalist she is. Jess and I were chatting just this week. Jess said, you know what? Pat's always been proof that in this business, you can earn respect and still hug everyone. You can be competitive and kind. Intimidating, yet somehow so approachable. Imagine that. The producer wrote it better than I did. Sure, Pat understands the value of a scoop. You don't get a Lifetime Achievement Award if you don't. But she has an even more refined, sharper sense that our business, TV news, is a team sport, that real joy is in the collaboration. And I have benefited time and time and time again In the 15 years that I and everyone else at CBS News have been blessed to call her colleague. Pat Milton loves nothing more than helping others produce the best story they can, whether it's using her golden Rolodex to get the perfect interview, using her law degree to clarify some confusing or arcane part of the law, using her capacity to make a call and getting some Midtown precinct captain To confirm something that he knows he shouldn't be talking about because they have a 30-year relationship. Or maybe she wants to see if you need a cup of coffee because she's headed down to the cafeteria. She has the most remarkably generous inclination to help. Competitive and kind. What a combo. That makes her not just an award-winning journalist, but an award-winning human being. And we don't have nearly enough of those, not in the news business and not in our culture. So, Pat, we're gonna hear from Susan Zurinsky now, but I just want you to know that this afternoon, all of your teammates here from CBS News are thrilled to watch you publicly celebrated for for a professional performance that is worthy of a Lifetime Achievement Award. And yes, we all salute your golden Rolodex, but more importantly, Pat Milton, we salute your golden heart.

Thank you, Jim. It's always such a pleasure to hear him speak, isn't it? So now I'd actually like, before we bring up the legendary Lady Z, we'd like to ask Nicole Young to come to the podium. If you don't know Nicole Young, she's an award-winning 60 Minutes producer. She works for Scott Pelley, and she is a colleague and a dear friend of Pat Milton, and she just has a brief message she wants to share.

There's—

there aren't enough words to express how wonderful you are, Pat, and I know that Scott is on assignment today and he regrets that he can't be here, and he's so very proud of you. I mean, his heart is so full, and so I stand here today in hopes that I can deliver his words with his I don't think I can get his voice exactly the same, but I will read his words verbatim because his words are special and just for you. Original, honest, tenacious. Pat Milton's reporting is the bedrock of countless major exclusives at CBS News. Newsmakers who decline to talk to anyone else, Speak to Pat because of her sincerity and meticulous pursuit of what is true. There is no democracy without journalism. Pat Milton's journalism, without fear or favor, is the best example of what our nation so urgently demands today. That is from Scott to you. Pat, There are no truer words that could have been written about who you are and what you do. I can say that anybody in this room who knows you, it is an honor to work with you, to see what you do, and to call you a friend. We love you, and this award is more— is way overdue, quite frankly.

And now it is my pleasure to introduce to you legendary news producer and former CBS News president Susan Zurinsky. Susan is currently president of See It Now Studios, where she oversees development and production of documentaries for ViacomCBS Networks, Paramount+, and other platforms. And here's a little bit of trivia for you. Not only is she a media icon, but she was the inspiration behind Holly Hunter's character in the movie Broadcast News. So my students that are here today, you get to Google that and watch it over the weekend. That's your homework. Susan.

You know, when you get a Lifetime Achievement Award, it's extraordinarily impressive. But there are some people who think you're done. You're finished. Maybe you're close to death. I don't need a second source on this. Pat is not done. Not by a long shot. Pat is not going on an extended vacation to Paris. She's not going to go biking through Italy. Pat is right where she is supposed to be, breaking news, digging deep into her intelligence sources, and keeping CBS News as a whole ahead of the game. Many of us worship at the altar of Pat Milton. And Jim talked about her bio. She has these titles, the senior investigative— senior producer for the investigative unit of CBS News. And when you have the words specializing in national security, I'm not allowed to curse, am I? But that's an— I'll use awesome instead of the word I was going to use. That is like a scary thing. You are specializing in national security, the FBI, intelligence, and federal law enforcement. You know, Jim talked about the fact that you had Several, 2 decades under your belt when you came to CBS at Associated Press. Is under your belt an HR issue?

No.

No, no. Right, right, Pat? I can keep going. But what Pat was reporting on before she came to CBS were stories that rocked the world. 9/11, the incredible TWA crash of Flight 800, one of the worst aviation disasters in the history of this country. But Pat didn't just cover it and move on. She then decided to write the definitive book on the crash, In the Blink of an Eye. I got my own autographed copy to prove it. She told the inside story of what was one of the most remarkable FBI investigations of this flight, including putting together the entire plane in a hangar on Long Island. What Pat has done for us at CBS is she has brought a depth and she has become part of the very fabric of who we are. I, I know this is kind of sick, but I remain on every distribution list at CBS News. I know when Biden's going to the bathroom. I know when the motorcade is leaving. Do I need to know that now in my job? Absolutely not. But I like to know what's going on. And what it does give me every day is a dose of Pat. It is definitely an addiction. Don't worry, I won't name the sources. So we do this thing where people who have cleared standards, met the 2-source limit, you're allowed to put out— report it. You can report this. So that's why I love this. Well, the Trump indictment was like catnip for Pat. I have just a couple of reportables. Reportable Pat Milton. 2 sources confirmed that Trump will be processed after he's arraigned. A DNA swab will be taken from the former president and put into the federal databank— federal database. Trump will be fingerprinted. Trump will not be photographed as a mugshot. And I thought, wow, that's good, Pat. Pat Milton, reportable. 2 sources report that Ted Kaczynski, convicted terrorist known as the Unabomber, had died of an apparent suicide. Only Pat. Okay, this is my favorite. It might, might kind of err on the side of, do you really need to know this? But Pat felt we needed to know this. Get a decent microphone, will you?

Okay.

It's following me. Pat Milton, Reportable. 2 sources, one law enforcement source and one government source, said that while Harry and Meghan were not in danger, 2 New York City Police Department uniformed officers could have been injured at one point during the alleged chase through New York City. Pat goes very deep, deep, deep, deep. Pat, you are like a stealth warplane. Not a lot of noise, flies under the radar. But when she drops an information bomb, it's nuclear. Pat has what I think is one of the most important assets of an investigative journalist.

Trust.

From her sources— FBI, CIA, DOD, NSA, DIA— to all of us who have walked the halls of CBS. When you think of the big stories, Jim mentioned this, but she and Andy Trieh broke the Brittney Griner release by Putin. Pat's sources told her that agreement was— had been reached, but with the White House. But the White House communicated they begged CBS not to air the story for concerns that Russia might renege. CBS held that story for one week. But thank you, Pat. CBS was first with the story that Griner was wheels up from Russia. You know, we go through these very painful stories and we get— even as journalists, you get caught up in the unbelievable impact of it. But what you can't forget is the need for information. So Newtown, Parkland, Uvalde, Las Vegas, Buffalo supermarket, Pulse nightclub, Pittsburgh synagogue, Charleston church— you do get caught up in what are moments of horror and terror, but you cannot let that stop you. From digging and providing relevant information that gives context and perspective. I know Nicole came up, but Pat has this, like, weird ability. Jim talked about it. It's like, you know, everybody's like, what are we going to do? Pat's on the phone. What time can you do it? Secretary of State Blinken for Pelly exclusive. FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Exclusive.

Who else?

Although, I must say, Pat had talked to us at 48 Hours at that point about the behind-the-scenes look of the FBI investigation into the Boston Marathon bombing. But Scott Pelley actually liked it, and I'll let you guess who won that battle. I did love the DEA hunt for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, though. I couldn't get that on 48 hours, but I did like that you got it for 60. You may be awarding Pat the Lifetime Achievement Award, but Pat has won I Won't Burn You Golden Globe Award from her sources. And that gives you access at any moment into the inner sanctums of agencies who trust no one. Let's be honest. The best executive producers, myself included, call Pat when they need an in. They want to get the get. Pat was instrumental in a documentary I was producing with Jules and Gideon Naudé and Chris Whipple for Showtime. It was called The Spymasters: CIA in the Crosshairs. We scored interviews with every living director Of the CIA. Thank you, Pat. As a matter of fact, Pat called me and said, the Naudés kind of want me to work for them in kind of a part-time basis. I said, the next time they call, hang up. When I had to produce 2 different docs for the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I called Pat. Pat and a team worked with us and successfully got us into the CIA. For one documentary, The Race Against Time: CIA and 9/11, and an FBI story that had never been told, The 26th Street Garage: The Untold Story of the FBI and 9/11. Both were stellar and revealed information that had not been known for 20 years. Jim mentioned this. I think you mentioned this. Do you know that Pat goes undercover? With her Hermès scarf. It was perfect for when she had to pose as a socialite to report on a Hollywood movie scam. And I think you also had an Hermès bracelet on at the same time. She took it off when she had to pretend undercover that she was seeking to adopt a baby from a woman scam artist. Hard to go to a scam artist with an Hermès scarf. It just doesn't work. I think you've won every award, the Murrow Award, the Gracies. And yes, you're an attorney. You have a BA in history, you know, a master's in public administration. So what do you do in your spare time? Well, I'm going to tell you. We were texting the other day and she said, I got to go. I'm giving a speech at Georgetown University to FBI and law enforcement and students of terrorism through the years and how the media covers it. Lightweight. I don't think they served lunch, though, did they? Pat, you are absolutely one of a kind. There is a Shakespearean quote that I think embodies you to a tee. And though she be but little, she is fierce. I don't know about you, but I am totally exhausted listing all of these achievements. I am honored to be your friend first, your colleague second. Pat, you are the ultimate badass.

And I don't think it should be any surprise that our next speaker is in fact the one and only Pat Milton.

Thank you so much for this great honor. I am privileged and humbled to be here today. I'm especially excited to return home to Long Island to see the people and places that have been a great part of my life and will forever hold a special place in my heart. I want to thank the Fair Media Council and especially the great Jaci Clement, who makes all things happen beautifully and brilliantly. Thank you, Jaci. To be recognized by an organization that has for more than 45 years done so much to promote quality journalism makes this award particularly special. I would not be standing here today were it not for the profound love and support of my parents. They were and always will be my heroes. And my late husband, Roy. Roy was an outstanding journalist, the love of my life, and my biggest fan. A big thank you as well to my colleagues in the news business. I've admired and respected you even as we competed for stories. To the amazing people I had the privilege to cover, thank you for the trust you placed in me to tell your stories honestly and fairly. Over the decades, I've been fortunate enough to work with top-notch journalists, first at the Associated Press and now at CBS News. I am so grateful and honored that many of them are here today. I'm especially honored that the illustrious Jim Axelrod, one of the greatest network correspondents ever, is with us. Jim has covered it all, overseas and here at home, with unyielding confidence And a simple elegance. Jim handles even the most daunting stories with total aplomb and professionalism. He manages to persuade his interview subjects to share crucial information in response to his penetrating questions. I'm also so grateful that the legendary Susan Zirinsky has graced us with her presence. Z, as she is affectionately known, is a CBS News institution and currently the president of See It Now Studios, where she oversees documentaries and special programming for Paramount, CBS, and other platforms. Before that, Z was the first woman president of CBS News and a senior executive producer. She is a bundle of energy. passionate about news, and an inspiration to all. And as you heard, if that wasn't enough, she was the real-life inspiration for the fictional TV producer played by Holly Hunter in the famous movie Broadcast News. I'm grateful to have 3 other CBS News rock stars here as well. Ingrid Cyprian-Matthews, Executive Vice President of Newsgathering, Terry Stewart, Senior Vice President of National News, and Lorna Jones, our Deputy Washington Bureau Chief. 3 dedicated journalists with impeccable news judgment, each ethical to the core. And they genuinely care about the people they work with. When they ask you, "How are you doing?" They actually wait for the answer. I also want to thank my intrepid CBS News colleagues at 60 Minutes, including Aaron Weiss, Nicole Young, who you've just met, Kristen Steve, and Cassidy McDonald, and also our invincible investigative unit: Andy Bass, Jess Keju. Claire Himes, Sina Kassamou, I'm so proud to be part of your team. I'm also very appreciative of CBS News President Niraj Kamani for his support. A big thank you to my former colleagues at the Associated Press, Larry Neumeister, Kylie Armstrong, and Josh Hoffner. I love you guys. A very big salute to my oldest and dearest friends that are also here today. They have always been an enormous source of love and pride and support. And to my college sorority sisters who are here in force, go Gamma Psi! Congratulations as well to my fellow honorees. We are not only colleagues, but we're friends. In fact, I hired Doug Geed as a stringer for the AP way back when he was just getting started in local radio. Tim Sheld and I have been partners in crime throughout our careers. We even serve together today on the Journalism Board of St. John's University. And I became so close with Danielle Campbell that she unforgettably kept me on the phone with her to virtually hold her hand While she was in intense labor at the hospital, giving birth to her second child. Talk about breaking news. As many as you know, I was born on Long Island in Roslyn and grew up in Westbury. And I've always seemed destined to be a journalist. As they say, I had ink in my veins. Both my parents and my grandfather were in the newspaper business. In fact, my mom and dad met at the now defunct New York Daily Mirror, Back when the city was home to 9 daily newspapers. My dad later owned a weekly newspaper on Long Island. The news was a constant topic at our dinner table, and my parents encouraged my brother and me to watch the evening news with Walter Cronkite on CBS, of course. I landed my first big interview when I was 15 years old. A sophomore in high school. I was at the Overseas Press Club in New York. My dad was a founding member, and he and my mom were hosting a luncheon for King Hussein of Jordan. The king was on the dais, and I kept smiling at him during the whole event. Afterwards, he was getting into his limousine. He saw a police officer stop me from getting under the police barricade. The king jumped out of his car and motioned for me to join him. We had a wonderful chat in the back of his limo, and I wrote about it for my high school newspaper. So a lesson for aspiring journalists here today, including Max and Phoebe, always smile at the king. You, you could get a royal scoop. When I graduated college, I set out to pursue my dream job in journalism. It wasn't easy for a woman then trying to break into a male-dominated business. The Associated Press wouldn't even give me a job application. But persistence paid off, and I soon landed a job at the AP, first as a researcher and then as a reporter in the New York bureau. I began on the overnight shift, working midnight to 8 in the morning. I was one of only 2 women. Among 70 newspeople in the bureau. My first story was covering a terrorist bombing in the United Nations. What a thrill to see my first byline, Patricia Milton, atop the story that ran worldwide on the AP wire. I was smitten. I often went into the office on my days off looking for, no, pleading for stories to cover. Soon I was covering sports as well, but the editor insisted I change my byline, saying no one would read a sports story written by a woman. So when I got my first major exclusive interview with Yankee boss George Steinbrenner, Patricia Milton became Pat Milton. And how lucky was I when the AP assigned me to open its first bureau on Long Island It was a gift to be assigned to cover my hometown for a worldwide news organization. I cherish the memories of the time we spent together with my colleagues, crammed into the little press room in Mineola Courthouse. We covered it all. Tales of heartbreak and happiness, suburban lust and crime, culture, controversy, life and death. From the Long Island Railroad, To the, the massacre, to the kidnapping of Katie Beers, and of course the antics of cheating husband Joey Buttafuoco. Of the hundreds of stories I've covered as an investigative reporter for the AP, CBS News, and 60 Minutes, the most compelling was right here on Long Island— the crash of TWA Flight 800. The AP sent me to the scene of the South Shore of Long Island An hour after the crash, and I stayed 14 months. I felt driven to solve the mystery, not just for the public, but for the families of the victims. For me, this was a story not just about a plane crash. It was a tale of 230 souls lost and the loved ones they left behind. I later wrote a book about the FBI's investigation into the crash. Called In the Blink of an Eye. Since coming to CBS News in 2008, I have been privileged to be part of our coverage of impactful stories. In one 60-minute piece, we traced the drug fentanyl from the streets of Akron, Ohio, where 2 young people died of an overdose, back to its origin in China. Another heart-wrenching piece, our extraordinary CBS team told the story of frontline workers in a Bronx community at the height of the COVID pandemic. Our mission as reporters is to dig for the truth with every tool in our arsenal, and that includes compassion for those we are covering. Whenever someone turned me down for an interview, I never once considered their no an answer, Just the first round of a negotiation. One thing that is not negotiable is the truth. At a time when we are under fire with allegations of fake news, we must be more diligent than ever to get the story right. That's straight out of the AP playbook. Get it first, but first, get it right. Our credibility as reporters is always on the line. Without it, we have nothing. Trust is crucial to any relationship. For a journalist, there is no greater virtue. Our democracy depends on it. The stakes are high. For me, journalism was never just a job. It's a calling, a lifelong vocation. God blessed me with this magnificent gift, that keeps giving. I've enjoyed a front row seat to history while collecting a paycheck when I would surely do it for nothing. I hope my bosses didn't hear that. Thanks again to all for your kindness and support along the way. Again, thanks to the Fair Media Council, my friends and colleagues for being here to share this totally joyful moment with me.

The Fair Media Council is a 501 nonprofit organization advocating for quality news and working to create a media-savvy society. For more information about the Fair Media Council and upcoming Fast Chat shows, check out fairmediacouncil.org.

Hi, I'm Jaci Clement.

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