Jim Lehrer on Kennedy, Bus Memorabilia, Reporting and Retirement

The Takeaway

Jim Lehrer will no longer be the main face of PBS’ “NewsHour.” He was the show’s anchor for 36 years, but there has not been a lot of fanfare around his departure. “I didn’t want to make a big to-do about it,” he says.  He reflects on reporting on the Kennedy assassination and what he has learned about politics and history. His new book, “Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain” comes out in the Fall; he will continue moderating Shields and Brooks on Fridays. So what’s next? “I want to write better books,” Lehrer tells us.

Are you with The World?

The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.