Author: Tom Johnson

Tom Johnson is a Guest Writer
Tom Johnson was publisher of the Los Angeles Times before being asked by Ted Turner to become president of CNN.  Earlier in his career, Tom Johnson worked for LBJ

Yes, he could be outrageous. When a little girl fell into a well in Texas and the rescue of “Baby Jessica” unfolded live on TV, CNN’s ratings skyrocketed. Ted joked maybe CNN should place candy bars around other wells. Yet, you could also find him in war-torn regions poking sticks in the ground searching for land mines that children were stepping on, blowing themselves up. He was complicated. Until I met Ted, I thought Lyndon Johnson was the most complex person I had ever known. Before I accepted the job as CNN’s president, I told him, “Ted, before you hire…

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