Remembering Ted Turner: A Transformative Legacy

Summary

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Amanpour – "Remembering Ted Turner: A Transformative Legacy"

Date: May 9, 2026
Host: Christiane Amanpour
Guests: Ted Turner (archival interviews), Walter Isaacson, Jane Fonda, David Attenborough (brief segment)

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Overview

This special episode of Amanpour is dedicated to honoring Ted Turner, the visionary founder of CNN, who died earlier this week at age 87. Through deep-dive interviews, anecdotes, and reflections from those who knew him best, the program explores Turner’s outsized impact on global news media, philanthropy, environmentalism, sports, and cultural diplomacy. Archival clips from Amanpour’s conversations with Turner on his Montana ranch, analysis from author and former CNN president Walter Isaacson, and insights from former wife Jane Fonda, collectively paint a nuanced portrait of a true American original—one who changed the world several times over.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Ted Turner’s Media Revolution

The Birth and Struggles of CNN

• Turner’s bold vision for 24-hour news was met with widespread skepticism. Despite chronic underfunding and public doubt, Turner’s commitment never wavered.

  • Quote (Ted Turner, 03:51): “I knew I didn’t have enough money to get CNN to break even, but I figured…if I get on the air and people see just how helpful it’s going to be, I’ll be able to raise the money later on. And I was able to do just exactly that. It was hard…all storms have a lot in common. You know you’re in danger, you’ve got to be cool head. Timing is important in everything you do.”

• Challenges included significant financial losses for a decade before profitability was reached.

  • Quote (Ted Turner, 03:51): “The first 10 years we lost money and then we broke even in the 11th year and now we’re making a decent profit.”

Journalistic Integrity and Press Freedom

• Turner recalled having to sue the White House to guarantee equal access for CNN reporters, winning in the Supreme Court.
  • Quote (Turner, 07:43): “We sued the president and the government, and the Supreme Court heard the story right quick and voted in our favor.”

CNN’s Global Impact – Gulf War Coverage

• Turner’s insistence on reporting from Baghdad during the first Gulf War set CNN apart, establishing its reputation for fearless, independent reporting.
  • Quote (Ted Turner, 08:47): “I couldn’t do it [pull people out of Baghdad] because it was too important. As long as we have people that volunteer to stay…we were just pro truth.”

2. Philosophy and Personal Motivations

On Ambition, Success & Failure

• Inspired by his father to set impossibly high goals, Turner maintained a relentless drive—especially on existential issues like nuclear disarmament and climate change.

  • Quote (Turner, 05:54): “Set your goals so high that you can’t possibly accomplish them in one lifetime. That way you’ll always have something ahead.”

• Honesty and honor remained central.

  • Quote (Ted Turner, 17:47): “Oh. My honor is my life. We live in one. Take honor from me and my life is done. Then pray, my liege, my honor, let me try. For that I live, and for that will I die. And I lived with that. There’s not one blemish on my honor in my entire 76 year career, not once.”

Global Curiosity and Building Bridges

• Turner’s adventures included diplomatic overtures, like traveling to Cuba to meet Fidel Castro, motivated by curiosity and a desire to expand understanding.

  • Quote (Turner, 10:16): “That’s what makes [me] go everywhere. That’s what people watch the news for because they’re curious about what’s going on.”

• Founding the Goodwill Games to foster peace during the Cold War.

  • Quote (Turner, 13:05): “During the 20 years of the Goodwill Games, we never had better relations with Russia.”

3. Advocacy and Philanthropy

Environmentalism and Restoration

• Turner became one of the largest private landowners in the U.S., determined not to develop but to preserve—most famously restoring the bison.
  • Quote (Jane Fonda, 37:05): “…He has saved huge swaths of land…He has brought back species that were extinct in the wild…I have this vision of Ted dying and going to heaven and there’s this chorus of animals…singing and praising him.”

Nuclear Disarmament

• A passionate campaigner for the end of nuclear weapons, founding the Nuclear Threat Initiative in 2001.
  • Quote (Turner, 14:33): “Either we all have nuclear weapons or we all don’t have them. And I’m in real favor of not having them…It’s time to put war behind us.”

Philanthropy

• In 1997, Turner’s $1 billion donation to start the United Nations Foundation shocked the world—and set a new standard for American philanthropy.
  • Quote/Narration (34:01): “It was a jaw-dropping gift…It made perfect sense to him.”

4. Legacy Reflections

Personal Touches and Education

• Turner's choice to study the Classics was met with comic parental dismay, but inspired his worldview.
  • Quote (exchange, 18:01):
    • Amanpour: “This letter from your dad…he said, my dear son, I’m appalled, I know, even horrified, that you’ve adopted Classics as a major. As a matter of fact, I almost…”
    • Turner: “…puked on the way home today.”

What He Most Wanted to Be Remembered For

• Quote (Ted Turner, 19:27): “For the good things I’ve done.”
• Proudest Accomplishments: Family first, then CNN.

Advice for the Next Generation

• Quote (Ted Turner, 19:50): “Clean energy.”

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Walter Isaacson: Turner as Genius and America's Crossroads

• Isaacson, reflecting as a former CNN president, called Turner “a total innovator…crazy like a fox” (21:41).

  • Quote (Isaacson, 21:41): “I always write about innovation…This notion that you do a 24 hour cable news around the world, global. It changed geopolitics; it changed our world. It was partly because Ted was crazy, but he was crazy like a fox and we all loved him.”

• On America’s current constitutional crisis and polarization:

  • Quote (Isaacson, 24:07): “We had our bicentennial and rang the Liberty Bell…we healed. We came together as a nation. I was hoping this would happen for our 250th, because we are so polarized. And it’s why I wrote this book…Let’s go back to the Declaration. We hold these truths to be self evident…now more than half the world has that sense of democracy, of individual rights and freedom.”

• On the ongoing challenge of American inclusivity:

  • Quote (Isaacson, 26:27): “The great strength of America is it has people from all over the world, different races, different religions…and we weave together when we’re the best…We have to realize, go back to that declaration, we’re all in this together.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Turner on Courage in Crisis (CNN’s Early Years):
  (03:51) — "All storms have a lot in common. You know you’re in danger, you’ve got to be cool head. Timing is important in everything that you do."
• Turner on “Pro-Truth” Journalism:
  (09:50) — "We changed the way things were done. It wasn’t, we weren’t anti-American. We were just pro truth."
• Turner quoting Shakespeare, on Honor:
  (18:47) — “My honor is my life…There’s not one blemish on my honor in my entire 76 year career, not once.”
• Jane Fonda’s Eulogy for Turner:
  (37:05) — "I have this vision of Ted dying and going to heaven and there’s this chorus of animals, of critters, bees and birds and animals that are all singing and praising him."
• Isaacson’s Story of 9/11 at CNN:
  (23:08) — “I went up to the fourth floor at CNN center and Ted was in his office. I said, ‘Ted, can you come down to the newsroom? ... we need you.’ … He grabbed a sword from the wall of his office and he came down to the newsroom and he said, ‘This is why we created this network. Cover this war.’”

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Timestamps for Significant Segments

• 00:38–05:35: Amanpour’s introduction; Turner on launching CNN and financial challenges
• 05:35–11:35: Turner on ambition, global issues (nuclear weapons, climate), philosophy
• 12:10–15:50: Goodwill Games, diplomacy, and nuclear disarmament
• 16:01–19:55: On clean energy, personal values, and Classical education
• 21:17–27:25: Walter Isaacson on Turner’s genius, 9/11 at CNN, America’s founding principles
• 33:06–36:13: Narrated legacy segment highlighting philanthropy, environmentalism, and sports
• 37:05–38:00: Jane Fonda on Ted’s environmental legacy

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Tone and Style

The episode blends reverence with lively, candid storytelling. Turner’s own voice brims with humor, defiance, and candor, while Amanpour and Isaacson offer thoughtful, affectionate analysis. The mood is reflective, celebratory, clear-eyed about both achievements and the formidable risks Turner confronted.

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Conclusion

“Remembering Ted Turner: A Transformative Legacy” captures the full sweep of Turner’s singular journey: media mogul, environmental champion, philanthropist, and “crazy-like-a-fox” visionary. The episode underscores Ted’s enduring ethos: to seek truth, take bold risks, serve the common good, and always “shoot for something that’s impossible to have happen in my lifetime.”

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Further listening: The episode briefly pivots to spotlight Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday and Jane Fonda’s recollections, reinforcing the legacy theme—of those rare, world-changing lives lived to their utmost.

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Transcript

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[Christiane Amanpour]

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Amanpour Hour. Here's where we're headed this week. We remember when giants strode this earth. The life and legacy of CNN founder Ted Turner, who launched a media revolution for America and the world.

[Ted Turner]

There's not one blemish on my honor in my entire 76 year career, not once.

[Christiane Amanpour]

First, our conversation at his Montana ranch where he told me about the uphill battle to make 24 hour news, his fight to conserve the planet and banish nuclear weapons and his difficult relationship with his father. Then, memories from journalist and author Walter Isaacson about his years and as CNN president under our founder. In his new book on America's founding fathers, he talks about the greatest sentence ever written.

[Walter Isaacson]

We have to realize, go back to that declaration, we're all in this together.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Also ahead, Britain's broadcasting legend, the beloved David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday. He brought the wonders of our natural world into our living rooms. In color for the first time. From my archives, we hear about that great gift he gave us all. Welcome to the program, everyone. I'm Christian Amanpour, anchoring from home this weekend for a special show dedicated to Ted Turner, our extraordinary founder and fearless leader, the visionary who died on Wednesday at the age of 87. So this week, we show you what made him so special, a savant ahead of every curve, the man who launched a global media revolution with CNN and 24. 7 News, the man who actually did change the world, the quintessential American entrepreneur, the handsome, swashbuckling, daring America's cup champion, the peace activist who wanted to eradicate nuclear weapons and break down barriers between people and nations. The first of the modern day American philanthropists. And of course, a passionate conservationist, one of the largest single private landowners, which he would not develop, but preserve forever, and even restored the almost extinct American bison. In nearly 43 years at CNN, I met Ted many times, including on his Montana ranch in 2015, where he told me so many stories of life, love, loss and his commitment to family, community and always, always to cnn. In today's Sharply partisan and weaponized media and political environments. It's important to remember that he created this network 46 years ago, not to hammer any political agenda, but simply to bring the truth about the world we all live in, to make us care about community and about our role and responsibility in it. You are somebody who's known for your phenomenal success, I mean, kind of mind blowing success and the cutting edge reforms that you've been doing. How much do you look at success in context with failure? What does failure mean to you? How do you look at failure, how

[Ted Turner]

you deal with it, try and avoid it. And I've been successful in doing that. I knew I didn't have enough money to get CNN to break even, but I figured, I said, how am I going to get around it? I thought it through real carefully and I figured if I get on the air and people see just how helpful it's going to be, I'll be able to raise the money later on. And I was able to do just exactly that. It was hard because the finances the first year, the budget, we were 100% over the budget on expenses. It cost us twice as much to run as we had projected and the income was half as much as we predicted. So the bottom line was one quarter of what we projected. And the bankers just said, ted, we're sorry, this is not a bankable deal, you gotta give us our money back. I said, give me a little time to get somebody else to lend it to me. It was really fun. I mean, and it was scary. It was just as scary or scarier than the wind and the facet race. But all storms have a lot in common. You know you're in danger, you've got to be cool head. Timing is important in everything that you do. The first 10 years we lost money and then we broke even in the 11th year and now we're making a decent profit.

[Christiane Amanpour]

When you were very young, your father told you to be sure to set your goals so high that you can't possibly accomplish them in one lifetime. That way you'll always have something ahead of you. Did you set your goals high enough? Most people would say yes. And you've accomplished them all.

[Ted Turner]

Well, I haven't accomplished them all. We haven't gotten rid of nuclear weapons and we haven't got. We're headed in the right direction, but we haven't gotten far enough. Along with fighting global climate change, that after nuclear weapons is the greatest danger that we face. And it's preventable. The good thing is almost everything is preventable. The Bad things. All you gotta do is do them.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And CNN was also a major challenge. I mean, it wasn't an easy thing to start. Right.

[Ted Turner]

It was the everybody, just about everybody that had an opinion didn't think we could do it.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And what did you say to them? What did you say to that?

[Ted Turner]

Take a look at it in retrospect now. You can see that we did do it, obviously, and it was a huge success. Huge.

[Christiane Amanpour]

How did you convince them? And did you ever feel that if all these experts are telling me I can't do it, well, maybe there's something

[Ted Turner]

to it didn't bother me at all.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Were you trying to create a revolution with 24.7news, or were you just trying to find another brilliant business opportunity? What was your motivating impulse?

[Walter Isaacson]

Both.

[Ted Turner]

Both. I thought it through very carefully. That's what I did. I studied the situation and I knew what I was doing. At least I felt like I knew what I was doing. And it turned out that I did.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And then after you created CNN in the United States, which already created revolution, do you remember what it was like when you were sh. CNN was shut out of the White House, for instance.

[Ted Turner]

It wasn't for very long. We sued the president. You sued the president and the government, and the Supreme Court heard the story right quick and voted in our favor.

[Christiane Amanpour]

So then CNN cameras could go and cover the White House like everybody else.

[Ted Turner]

Right. That's all we were asking, is equal access.

[Christiane Amanpour]

You've said that of all the things you've done, and you've done a lot, that CNN is the business achievement of which you're the most proud.

[Ted Turner]

Yes.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Ten years later was the Gulf War when CNN really exploded into the international consciousness, into the global.

[Ted Turner]

And the only ones that were covering the war life were behind the lines.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Do you remember all the pushback you got from the President of the United States, from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, from all these people who called you up and said, ted, get your people out of Baghdad.

[Ted Turner]

Well, the president didn't call me. He called Tom Johnson. But the word got to me.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Did you ever think of obeying those orders?

[Ted Turner]

I couldn't do it because it was too important. And I said, as long as we have people that volunteer to stay. And Peter Arnett volunteered and Bernie Shore and John Holloman.

[Walter Isaacson]

Let's describe to our viewers what we're seeing. The skies over Baghdad have been illuminated. We're seeing bright flashes going off all over the sky.

[Ted Turner]

Bernie really got caught there. He got out the next day. He was only there the first day that is legendary.

[Christiane Amanpour]

What they did that night.

[Ted Turner]

Oh, yeah, yeah, that was it.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And then everybody else took cnn, right? Fast forward all these years to now. There's a lot of politics that's involved even in news coverage and people can criticize. They can say, well, you know, were you on the side of the Iraqis? Why weren't you, you know, patriotic Americans? What were you doing, you know, in the enemy camp? Why were you behind enemy lines? What do you say today to people who still ask that question?

[Ted Turner]

Not just about, we don't ask it.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Not just about this story.

[Ted Turner]

We changed the way things were done. It wasn't, we weren't anti American. We were just pro truth.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And were you pro truth when you took up the invitation from Fidel Castro decades ago to actually go to Cuba and see what this guy was all about? What made you go there? Was that about curiosity?

[Ted Turner]

That's what makes go everywhere. That's what people watch the news for because they're curious about what's going on.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Did you have an idea of Fidel Castro?

[Ted Turner]

Thought he was pretty colorful.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And did you change your opinion when

[Ted Turner]

you got, he had a lot of courage to tackle the United States, you know, being so close to us.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Did you change your opinion at all when you got down there? I mean, your father was very strongly anti communist like most Americans.

[Ted Turner]

I was too. You don't have to agree with somebody politically on everything that feel like they have, that they have worth.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And you also said after this eye opening trip to Cuba, I flew home with a whole new desire to understand more about other cultures and political systems and to do what I could to increase communication and dialogue between nations.

[Ted Turner]

Yep. What's wrong with that?

[Christiane Amanpour]

At first derided as chicken noodle news, Ted and CNN had the last laugh. Coming up later on the program, more of my conversation from Montana about Ted, the globalist, bison sailing and world peace. A deeper look into the man who was so much more than just a media mogul.

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[Christiane Amanpour]

Welcome back to the program where we are continuing with our special coverage of the late media pioneer Ted Turner, who died earlier this week. Never one to rest on his laurels, he was passionate about using CNN's unprecedented global reach. He was also a bit of a diplomat, founding the Goodwill games in the 1980s at the he height of the Cold War. It was an international sports competition specifically designed to dial down the temperature between the United States and the Soviet Union with thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at each other. Grandiose maybe, but he meant it. And indeed, the USSR Communism did collapse a few years later. Here's some of our conversation about that part of his life. Your whole ethos was about trying to build bridges between nations, especially with the Goodwill Games. When you tried to build bridges between then Soviet Union and the United states

[Ted Turner]

during the 20 years of the Goodwill Games, we never had better relations with Russia.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And just remind me, who was your guide then? Wasn't it the young Vladimir Putin?

[Ted Turner]

Yeah. Vice Mayor of St. Petersburg. We had the Games there. Forget what year it was, but it was when he was there.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And what did you think of him at that point?

[Ted Turner]

Seemed like a pretty capable, competent guy.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Does it surprise you that now that he's President, all these years later, there is real antipathy between him, Russia and the United States?

[Ted Turner]

It's terrible. I'm the guy that believes that we should learn how to get along, particularly the countries that we cannot afford to get into conflict with or Russia and because of their nuclear weapons, and China.

[Christiane Amanpour]

So during this crisis between Russia and Ukraine and a raid against the west, something that I thought was unthinkable happened. President Putin has, one way or another, raised the specter of, quote, unquote, the nuclear option. And I certainly never thought in my life, particularly after the Cold War, that this would be a possibility. And you, who've spent so much of your life trying to secure nuclear weapons with the Nuclear Threat Initiative, can you believe that this is actually happening in 2015?

[Ted Turner]

It's hard to believe, but we're both guilty. The only thing that we can do is have total nuclear disarmament. Either we all have nuclear weapons or we all don't have them. And I'm in real favor of not having them. We should get rid of all of them and sign a treaty that will never mess with them again. We don't want to destroy the world. It's a very dangerous situation. Those bombs are so powerful that just a few of them will kill life on Earth. And we've got thousands of them on hair trigger alert.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Do you worry that there could be an accident?

[Ted Turner]

Yes, there have been numerous accidents, but fortunately none have triggered an explosion yet. But it could happen at any time. It's just like having dynamite in your basement. We ought to work on the things that make our lives better, not the things that make our lives worse. And weapons and armies and aircraft carriers are just a waste of money and a waste of time. It's time to put war behind us. We that we've made enough progress to where we can say goodbye to war and say hello to cooperation and working together.

[Christiane Amanpour]

You seized cable before. Cable was cool as the ad went. What would you say to people today? What is the most important area of business endeavor?

[Ted Turner]

Well, a chance to make a fortune. Energy. Clean renewable energy is the biggest single project because most of the people in the world don't have clean, renewable energy.

[Christiane Amanpour]

What would you say to the skeptics who say there may be some climate change going on, but A, it's got nothing to do with us, and B, trying to fix it with alternative energy is just economically not viable? What would you say to them?

[Ted Turner]

I'd say. I hate to say this, but I think you're wrong.

[Christiane Amanpour]

I want to go back a little bit further. You went to Brown University to study the Classics?

[Walter Isaacson]

No.

[Christiane Amanpour]

No.

[Ted Turner]

I went there because my father wanted me to go to an Ivy League school and I got in there.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Your father wanted you to go to an Ivy League school and you got in. That's where you went.

[Ted Turner]

I didn't plan to study the Classics when I first went to Brown. I didn't know what I was going to study.

[Christiane Amanpour]

You did study the classics, right?

[Ted Turner]

I ended up going that way because. Because it was inspirational for me.

[Christiane Amanpour]

In what way?

[Ted Turner]

Well, the grandiose plans of the Classics. Horatio at the bridge. Then step forward. Horatius, the captain of the gate. He said to every man of woman born death cometh soon or late and how can man die better Than facing fearful odds? For the ashes of his fathers and the temples of his gods Hew down the bridge, sir, counsel with all the speed ye may I with but two beside me will hold the foe in play on yon narrow span a thousand might well be stopped by three. Now who will stand on either hand and guard the bridge with me? I like that.

[Christiane Amanpour]

I like that, too.

[Ted Turner]

I signed up for Classics, said, here I am, few down the bridge.

[Christiane Amanpour]

This letter from your dad. When you declared Classics your major, he said, my dear son, I'm appalled, I know, even horrified, that you've adopted Classics as a major. As a matter of fact, I almost

[Ted Turner]

puked on the way home today.

[Christiane Amanpour]

You remember the letter? I think you're rapidly becoming a.

[Ted Turner]

An asshole.

[Christiane Amanpour]

No, it was a jackass.

[Ted Turner]

Damn it, I sent you there.

[Christiane Amanpour]

What did you think when you got that letter from your own dad?

[Ted Turner]

I was more amused than anything because I saw the value in classics.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Can you do Shakespeare?

[Ted Turner]

A little bit.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Do you have anything you'd like to declaim?

[Ted Turner]

This is, I think, Richard iii. Anyways, one of the Richards. Oh. My honor is my life. We live in one. Take honor from me and my life is done. Then pray, my liege, my honor, let me try. For that I live, and for that will I die. And I lived with that. There's not one blemish on my honor in my entire 76 year career, not once.

[Christiane Amanpour]

What do you most want to be

[Ted Turner]

remembered for the good things I've done.

[Christiane Amanpour]

What's your proudest achievement?

[Ted Turner]

My family first. And outside my family, cnn.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And what advice would you have for any young person who came to say, ted, you've done it all? What can you tell me?

[Ted Turner]

Clean energy.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Ted Turner, thank you very much.

[Ted Turner]

You're quite welcome.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Next up, Ted. Loved America, its unique history and its enduring promise. Now, as the nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, we ask whether it's forgetting its founding principles. I asked veteran journalist Walter Isaacson. Welcome back to the show. Now, from our founder to America's founding fathers, it's 250 years since the Declaration of Independence and the United States as we know it was born. A massive milestone for sure, but also a necessary reality check. Right now, the US Is blowing past so many of its founding principles under the Trump administration, especially pushing the very extremes of executive power, which means weakening constitutional checks and balances, starting wars of choice, and trampling the very alliances around the world that have made America uniquely powerful and influential. This week, veteran journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson was here in London with his new book on the Declaration and the greatest sentence ever written. He joined me here at home to reflect on this moment in America and on his time as chief executive of cnn. Walter Isaacson, welcome to the program.

[Walter Isaacson]

Thank you, Chrisan.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And my former boss as president of

[Walter Isaacson]

cnn, well, our colleagues, we were all together back then.

[Christiane Amanpour]

You were the boss then, now we're colleagues. Let me ask you, of course, the passing of our great founder, I mean, it's really an irreplaceable loss. And he was a unique individual. You have written so much about the geniuses of our era in. Do you think you count Ted as a genius?

[Ted Turner]

Totally.

[Walter Isaacson]

A total innovator. I always write about innovation, which means thinking out of the box. And this notion that you do a 24 hour cable news around the world, global. It changed geopolitics, it changed our world. It was partly because Ted was crazy, but he was crazy like a fox and we all loved him.

[Christiane Amanpour]

It's the kind of crazy that's very good crazy.

[Walter Isaacson]

Exactly. Makes you march through walls for him, but. But also to see things that people couldn't see. People told him he was crazy to try to start a satellite news network type thing, but the world is so different because of it.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And when you were asked to be President Shortly before 2001, 9 11, it had been called chicken noodle news for a long time. What did you think you were getting into?

[Walter Isaacson]

Well, I knew that it cared with you there and Nick Robertson and all these people about international coverage, Wolf Blitzer and others, that it was kind of problematic back then, you know, before I came, because there was no big news. We were covering shark attacks or OJ Simpson car rides or something. But then when it really mattered and 911 happened. I'll tell you a story. 911 happened. I'm in that newsroom in Atlanta. It's about 7am, Easton, Jordan, all the people, you know there were watching the plane. The plane's hitting. And Ted Turner was not really involved with CNN much then because the Time Warner people had kicked him upstair.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Disastrous aol. They kicked him further upstairs. Yeah.

[Walter Isaacson]

And they didn't want him involved. So he didn't come to the newsroom much. But when that twin tower started to come down, I said to Eason and others, wait a minute. I went up to the fourth floor at CNN center and Ted was in his office. I said, ted, can you come down to the newsroom? He said, well, I'm not. I said, ted, we need you. And he was watching this and he grabbed a sword from the wall of his office and he came down to the newsroom and he said, this is why we created this network. Cover this war.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Right now, let's get to your book and let's get to where we are in America right now. Not just the media, but American society, civil society, the respect for constitutional precedent and norms. It does seem, as America's about to celebrate 250 years of the Declaration of Independence, that this is a moment of massive identity crisis and a crisis of almost a constitutional crisis. Oh, is that too dramatic?

[Walter Isaacson]

No, I think it's right. Although we've been here before and if you remember 50 years or so ago, we had gone through Watergate, the resignation of the President, the assassinations of Kennedys and kings, urban riots. And then we had our bicentennial and rang the Liberty Bell. The tall ships came in and we healed. We came together as a nation. I was hoping this would happen for our 250th, because we are so polarized. And it's why I wrote this book, which is, let's go back to the Declaration. We hold certain truths to be self evident in. Let's remind ourselves. And when I say ourselves, it's not just America, but now more than half the world has that sense of democracy, of individual rights and freedom. And that's what they stood for 250 years ago. And we really should try to celebrate it this July 4th.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Celebrate and try to restore it, because it seems to be framed undefended. I mean, I'm watching from abroad, but. But the great values that the Declaration gave to the world, not just to America and the rule of law and all the norms, just do seem to be under attack by this current Trump administration, who makes no bones about it. They believe in the maximum extension of executive power at the expense of all the other branches of government, legislative, judicial, media.

[Walter Isaacson]

I think what you've seen, though, is it's longer than that. It's the past 20 or 30 years where globalism and free trade were great at creating wealth, but it hollowed out a middle class, a working class, whether it be in Europe or the United States. And you had a backlash. And sometimes we didn't fully understand it. I mean, we who lived in Washington or New York and others, and I think we have to get back to that notion of common ground where if we're going to have wealth in a society, whether it's AI driven or technology driven, we have to make sure everybody participates and that we all share certain common values and common services. That got a bit lost. So you've had a populist revolt, whether it's here with Brexit, whether it's in Hungary, but you also see the pendulum starting to swing back. So I'm optimistic.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And one final question, because now there is a conscious rollback of civil rights, a conscious rollback of any minority rights in the United States. How will that resolve itself?

[Walter Isaacson]

The great strength of America is it has people from all over the world, different races, different religions, and we weave together when we're the best. That helps in my hometown of New Orleans, create things like jazz and wonderful food, because the diversity becomes part of our strength. When we start getting more tribal, when we divide ourselves, when we do us against them. And whether it's the politicians doing it or the algorithms of social media doing it, where we're saying, okay, those people got too many rights or those people took things from me, that's where we lose it as a nation. We have to realize, go back to that declaration, we're all in this together.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Even if it was all men, they didn't count on us. Women.

[Walter Isaacson]

Yeah. And eventually, eventually Abigail said, remember the women? And when they have the Seneca Falls declaration for the rights of women, about a century later, they invoke that sentence in the declaration.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Good old Abigail.

[Walter Isaacson]

Yes.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Abigail Adams. Walter Isaacson, thank you so much.

[Walter Isaacson]

Thank you. Great to be with you again.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And Walter's book, the Greatest Sentence Ever Written, is out now. When we come back, celebrating the life and work of broadcaster and wildlife legend Sir David attenborough, who turns 100. Our conversation is next.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for 15amonth plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail]

[Christiane Amanpour]

Switch upfront payment of 45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees, extra fee, full terms@mintmobile. Welcome back. He is officially a national treasure, a knight of the realm, and single handedly brought Britain a love and respect and just sheer wonder of our natural world. Sir David Attenborough turned 100 years old yesterday. Famous for his wildlife documentaries, this broadcaster has taken us on adventures around the world for decades. From tracing the story of evolution in the 1970s with the groundbreaking BBC series Life on Earth, he has romped and cavorted with animals great and small. I've been most privileged to have interviewed Attenborough a few times. But here's just a snippet of our conversation from the last time he celebrated a milestone when he turned 90. You turned 90 this year and you are still going gangbusters. You what is the secret of your passion and your energy still today?

[David Attenborough]

Well, I think it helps to be interested in what you're doing. And of course, an awful lot of people, including me, would actually pay to what I'm doing to be truthful and so why stop?

[Christiane Amanpour]

But you have so much energy, you're so active and people have come to know and love you and your programs because of the way you relate to the animals. And you never seem to. To lose that woe, that wow factor. What if you could, would be your biggest wow factor in terms of the animals that you have met and frankly communicated with.

[David Attenborough]

Well, I mean, you can't, you can't. I can't communicate with a tiger, you know, I can't complete communicate with a jellyfish. We're primates and we can, but. And we can communicate with other primates.

[Christiane Amanpour]

Well, you say primates and of course there is that classic footage of you with the gorillas where you were doing a presentation to camera and all of a sudden the gorillas sort of took over.

[David Attenborough]

And this is how they spend most of their time, lounging on the ground, grooming one another. Sometimes they even allow others to join in.

[Christiane Amanpour]

It never gets old, that Sir David. It never, ever gets old.

[David Attenborough]

Well, it couldn't have happened, of course, except for an amazing, amazing woman called Diane Fossey who habituated those. And so they were accustomed to. Again, you know, I get all kinds of unjustified credit, unreflected glory. People think, how clever Dian Fossey made that possible, not me.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And you had this amazing moment also with a baby rhino. And literally you got on all fours and you started to make rhino noises or try to imitate the noises that the rhino was making. But, but, you know, you don't often see a grown man on all fours communicating at the animal's level.

[David Attenborough]

Well, naturally. I mean, yes, Knox, terrifically clever to

[Walter Isaacson]

be able to fall on all floors.

[David Attenborough]

I mean, I would do it if you like.

[Christiane Amanpour]

I don't want you to do it. Let's listen for a second. I mean, it is amazing. Do you ever worry after six decades of doing this that, you know, this great planet, this great wildlife, is in deeper danger than even the most dedicated conservationists can prevent?

[David Attenborough]

Yes, I do. Of course I do. The awful thing is that we know how to fix it. You know, it isn't magic. I mean, we know the steps that can be taken and we need to get the world nations to agree to do it. And that's the problem. It can be done.

[Christiane Amanpour]

In his later years, Sir David went from being just a journalist recording these wonders to a committed campaigner for the preservation of our environment and our wildlife. Next up, we return to Ted Turner, the champion yachtsman who risked his life and limb at sea. That's next. Welcome back to the program. Throughout this hour, we're remembering CNN founder Ted Turner, who died earlier this week at 87 years old. And we now bring you a deeper look at this renaissance man and his global impact. From climate to diplomacy to sports, let's take a look at even more of what he's achieved.

[Narrator]

I dedicate the news channel for America,

Ted Turner, the man who changed the world by creating CNN in 1980. It was the first on demand global television news channel. But Ted Turner's accomplishments have an even wider reach than the global network he built. A lifetime of work that put him ahead of the curve with every chance he took. A true renaissance man, Ted Turner defied labels. Yes, he became a billionaire businessman, but he was also a philanthropist, a conservationist, a sports champion.

[Ted Turner]

Aren't they cool? I never get tired of him.

[Christiane Amanpour]

And an optimist.

[Narrator]

As he told me when I visited

[Christiane Amanpour]

him on his Montana ranch in 2015,

[Narrator]

surrounded by his beloved bison, A species he had nearly single handedly brought back from the brink of extinction.

[Ted Turner]

Remember, I'm supposed to be shooting for something that's impossible to have happen in my lifetime.

[Narrator]

And he had the Midas touch every time he dreamed the impossible dream. In 1997, he donated a billion dollars to help support the United nations by creating the United Nations Foundation. It was a jaw dropping gift that stunned the world. But like many of Turner's endeavors, it made perfect sense to him.

As of January of December 31, I was worth 2.2 billion. And I looked at it that morning real quick because I don't have a lot of time to look at my own statement. And I was up to 3.2 because the stock went up so much during the year. So I made it nine months. I'm only giving up nine months earnings. It's not that big a deal. I'm no poorer than I was nine months ago and the world is a lot better off.

Turner sold CNN to Time Warner in 1996 and stayed on as vice chairman. By 2000, his fortune and his influence at CNN were waning after the disastrous Time Warner merger with aol. But still he pursued his causes. He avidly fought for the eradication of nuclear weapons. In 2001, he co founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative, an organization that has worked to corral loose nukes and aims to reduce the weapons of mass destruction. He was a man who pushed boundaries. He met with dictators like Fidel Castro. He founded the Goodwill Games which helped to ease tensions between the US and the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

[Walter Isaacson]

The skies over Baghdad have been illuminated.

[Narrator]

He insisted CNN must be behind enemy lines in Baghdad to report that side of the first Gulf war, cementing the network as the global leader in breaking news. Before spearheading the media revolution, Ted Turner was champion sailor, winning the prestigious America's Cup. Later, he bought his adopted hometown baseball team, the Atlanta Braves, and its basketball team, the Atlanta Hawks. A career that wasn't linear but radiated in so many different directions. A one of a kind and we

[Christiane Amanpour]

won't see the likes of him again. The love of his life when we come back. When Ted Turner met his match, former wife and Oscar winning actress Jane Fonda told me what she thought awaited Ted. Yes, in heaven. That's after a break. And finally, as we look back on the remarkable life of Ted Turner, his influence on the media landscape will never be questioned or matched. Yet as we have been showing, it was far from the only measure of his life. During a conversation with his ex wife, the Oscar winning actress Jane Fonda, back in 2017, she spoke to me about his deep commitment to conservation. Remember, in America, he was way ahead of that curve on that vital and existential issue too.

[Jane Fonda]

Under the radar, less known unless you've read the books about him. He has saved huge swaths of land both in the United States and in Patagonia and in Tierra del Fuego. He has brought back species that were extinct in the wild. I mean, think of that. I have this vision of Ted dying and going to heaven and there's this chorus of animals, of critters, bees and birds and animals that are all singing and praising him.

[Christiane Amanpour]

I mean, it's a beautiful vision. Now if all of this sounds like post life hero worship, it is. There is such a thing as greatness and goodness. Despite the flaws and the stumbles, there is such a thing as being the best boss in the world. And we had it. Long after Ted left the building as chief executive, we all still clung to his vision and his example. His motto, lead, follow or get out of the way. And he did the first. And it was the privilege of a lifetime for us to do the second. As for the rest, they had to get out of his way. That's all we have time for this week. Don't forget, you can find all of our shows online as [e-mail] audio and on all other major platforms. I'm Christiane Amanpour in London. Thank you for watching and I'll see you all again next week.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'm Daniel Dae Kim. I'm going to South Korea to figure out how this small nation conquered the world with its culture. Join me and meet the artists and creators behind the phenomenon.

[Christiane Amanpour]

K everything. Now streaming on the CNN app.

[Ted Turner]

Influential journalist Kara Swisher is taking a hard look at the longevity industry.

[Jane Fonda]

There's so much bad information that the really good information gets drowned.

[Ted Turner]

The new CNN original series, Kara Swisher wants to live forever. Now streaming on the CNN app.