Greta Van Susteren On Social Media, Sexual Harassment, And Helping Women Reach Their Full Potential

For The Record

Greta Van Susteren has had an impressive career in the news industry as a current commentator and former television anchor for CNN, Fox News, and NBC News. She has traveled the world, interviewing prominent politicians and world leaders, former presidents, and celebrities.

At The Channel Company's Women Of The Channel event in New York City, Van Susteren shared some behind-the-scenes stories of the women she's encountered and helped throughout her career. She also shared her thoughts on some of the biggest issues making headlines today, including sexual harassment and the dissemination of false content on social media.

Here are excerpts from Van Susteren's closing keynote on Tuesday evening.

On Kicking Her Assistants Out Of The Nest

Van Susteren warns each assistant she's ever had that she's "awful" to work for. She despises dropped calls and mistakes, and doesn't allow for much room for error or surprises in her life. She also has the incoming assistant meet with the outgoing assistant to get a full run-down of the job so they know exactly what they are walking into. But she also asks her new assistants what they want to do, and tells them that if they do two years with her, she'll get them any job they want.

"I've seen talented people in this business become professional assistants, and if you don't push them out, that's going to be their life," she said. "I'm willing to work hard and go to bat for these young people -- When you can empower women, that beats all."

On Helping Women Succeed

Van Susteren told attendees a story about one assistant she had that wanted to be an anchor. She didn't see it happening for the young woman at first, but she would send her out on assignments and asked her to make "boring" scripts more interesting. Over time, the young woman stuck with it and kept getting better. In the end, Van Susteren reached out to her contacts and helped her assistant land an anchor position in a small market where she has since won an Associated Press award for her reporting. She's still thriving in her position today.

"Ask me what I'm proud of, and I don’t care about ratings -- anyone can do that. I'm proud that I keep my side of the deal in helping women become successful," she said.

Van Susteren also encouraged executives in the audience to help women around them succeed, both inside and outside of their workplaces.

On Sexual Harassment's Impact

While the visibility around sexual harassment is opening up an important discussion, keeping the conversation safe for men to join in is important, Van Susteren said. She also said that while the entire issue is delicate, each case is unique and must be treated as such.

"There's crimes like rape and sexual assault, then there are terrible things like harassment that can change the course of someone's career or decisions they would have made. And then there are boorish comments. You really have to look at the facts, and they aren't all the same," she said. "We have to be smart about it and make it fair and right for everyone."

Van Susteren acknowledged that her environment -- the media -- has blown up with recent allegations and high-profile anchors losing their jobs. And while these situations are "deplorable," the silver lining is that these stories aren't going to be hidden anymore, she said.

On Social Media's Responsibility

Social media, including platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, is like a giant telephone, Van Susteren said. Often these platforms are used by people to spread opinions or content masquerading as news. While the problem originates with users, these platforms aren't taking enough responsibility for the content being disseminated, she said.

"Social media is a wonderful way to reach around the world … But I don’t think anyone is expecting perfection, but the American people are growing very dissatisfied," she said. "These companies are aggregators of news, and they better figure out a way to help us disseminate material or they could end up being regulated by congress -- that’s what I predict."

On How To Consume News Responsibly

Just like the American public, Van Susteren said she is a consumer of news. She has experiences receiving information that was incorrect or falsified, but she has acknowledged when she's been wrong.

Van Susteren told the audience that it's important to do "your homework and research," have multiple news sources -- not just one go-to site -- and compare and contrast.

"You have to fact check. We all have made mistakes, but in the news business, the facts are what they are. If I have them wrong, show me, and I'll admit it."