The second presidential debate Oct. 15 is being moderated by C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully, who once said a college internship with Joe Biden helped shape his career.
In a 2011 interview with Cable Center, Scully explained how he got involved in the world of politics.
"You know, it was pretty traditional," he told the outlet.
"I came to school in Washington, D.C., went to American University and had a couple of internships. I worked for Joe Biden, senator from Delaware at the time, as an intern, so I had my first chance to really see politics up close in Washington, D.C."
After that, Scully worked for Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., in his 1980 campaign before going to Northwestern for grad school on scholarship, where he was drawn to journalism, Marie Claire magazine reported.
In another 2011 interview, this one with Journalism Jobs, Scully was harshly critical of the direction Fox News was taking broadcast journalism.
"I think what has gone downhill is when cable networks get caught in all the titillating news of the day, when they should be focusing more on the things that are important to people, like following the money and the state of the nation," he told the outlet.
"We are seeing more opinionated journalism on Fox, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly," he added.
Asked about what would be the long-term effect of any perceived bias in journalism, Scully seemed to predict the onslaught of "credibility blows" to the media in recent years.
"The most important thing you have is your reputation," he said. "How people view you and the organization you work at — they're going to see things through the prism of that. It would be a shame if we go down the path where everyone looks at The Washington Post and The New York Times and dismisses them as being supportive or critical of Republicans," he said.
He also pounded CBS News, asserting, "The best thing any news organization can do is to try to maintain a level of credibility — make sure that the facts they put in the newspaper or on the air are accurate and verified. That's one of the lessons CBS has realized. You could see the mistakes they were making every step of the way. They are going to pay a price for that."
Scully was referencing a 2004 report by CBS anchor Dan Rather that got him fired. His reputation was tarnished after the accuracy of a report questioning President George W. Bush's military service was publicly disputed.
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