Transcript

Talking Dateline: "Dateline Confidential"

From Dateline NBC · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 23 min · 4,030 words · 39 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Talking Dateline: "Dateline Confidential"", an episode of Dateline NBC published January 8, 2026 (23 min, about 4,030 words). It mentions 6 people, works and ideas, including A Date With Dateline, General Hap Arnold, Katie Mitchell, Keith Mark, Gana Tragedy.

What this episode is about

"Dateline Confidential" provides an insider's perspective on how "Dateline" episodes are crafted, featuring a discussion from a live event in Nashville where host Holly Robinson Peete and fans posed probing questions to the show's team, including anchor Lester Holt. The session explores the storytelling process, revealing the organic origins of story selection and the collaborative dynamics among the show's producers and correspondents.

Key takeaways

  • Dateline's secret sauce? It's the empathetic connection with victims' families, turning tragedy into heartfelt storytelling.
  • Traveling for stories means Josh often visits the wrong Paris – it’s all about local tales over tourist-filled clichés.
  • The 'no jerks' rule at Dateline proves journalism can be both compassionate and smart; a rarity in media today.
  • Stories often start at the office door; a simple chat can lead to uncovering the next big mystery.
  • Despite decades-old cases, timely reporting keeps Dateline ahead; waiting too long will see those stories vanish.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: A Date With Dateline, General Hap Arnold, Katie Mitchell, Keith Mark
  2. – 10:00: Gana Tragedy
  3. – 15:00: A Date With Dateline, General Hap Arnold, Katie Mitchell
  4. – 23:02: Harry Bosch

Notable quotes from "Talking Dateline: "Dateline Confidential""

  • AND ALSO FROM OUR FRIENDS, THE PROUD DATELINE SUPER FANS, THE HOSTS OF THE AWARD-WINNING PODCAST A DATE WITH DATELINE, KIMBERLY ARNOLD AND KATIE MITCHELL.
    about A Date With Dateline · at
  • ONE OF THE ONES IN MY HOMEWORK, LESTER, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE READ THAT HIT ME WAS THE GANA TRAGEDY, THE JIM JONES STORY.
    about Gana Tragedy · at
  • I WOULD BE SITTING BY MY POOL READING HARRY BOSCH NOVELS.
    about Harry Bosch · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • General Hap Arnold — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    THE PROUD DATELINE SUPER FANS, THE HOSTS OF THE AWARD-WINNING PODCAST A DATE WITH DATELINE, KIMBERLY ARNOLD AND KATIE MITCHELL.
  • Katie Mitchell — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    THE HOSTS OF THE AWARD-WINNING PODCAST A DATE WITH DATELINE, KIMBERLY ARNOLD AND KATIE MITCHELL.
  • Keith Mark — Person · 1 mention · first at
    GIVE IT UP FOR JOSH MANKOWICZ, KEITH MARK.

Books & papers

Concepts & topics

Full transcript with timestamps

HEY, IT'S JOSH MANKKIEWICZ, AND TODAY WE HAVE A SPECIAL EDITION OF TALKING DATELINE. INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT A PARTICULAR EPISODE, WE'RE GONNA SHARE A DISCUSSION FROM THE 2ND SESSION OF DATELINE LIVE. THAT WAS OUR IN-PERSON EVENT HELD IN THE FALL AT THE PINNACLE IN NASHVILLE. THE ENTIRE DATELINE TEAM WAS ON THE INTERVIEW HOT SEAT LISTENING TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR HOST, ACTRESS AND AVID DATELINE VIEWER, HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE, AND ALSO FROM OUR FRIENDS, THE PROUD DATELINE SUPER FANS, THE HOSTS OF THE AWARD-WINNING PODCAST A DATE WITH DATELINE, KIMBERLY ARNOLD AND KATIE MITCHELL.

THEY DID NOT SHY AWAY FROM ASKING THE HARD HITTING QUESTIONS. WE CALLED THE SEGMENT DATELINE CONFIDENTIAL. HERE'S HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE TO START US OFF. IF YOU'VE EVER WONDERED HOW A DATELINE EPISODE COMES TOGETHER, YOU'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT. LIKE ANY GOOD JOURNALIST, WE'RE GONNA GO STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE, AND THAT WOULD BE OUR FRIEND ANCHOR LESTER HOLT, OF COURSE, AND THE BEST TEAM OF CORRESPONDENTS IN THE BUSINESS. GIVE IT UP FOR JOSH MANKOWICZ, KEITH MARK. THAT.

UNCOMFORTABLE, SO LET'S PULL THE CURTAIN BACK A LITTLE BIT, UH, ON, ON THIS. NUMBER ONE, HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR STORIES, LESTER? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF GETTING THOSE STORIES AND STARTING THAT PROCESS? WELL, FROM MY STANDPOINT, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S IN THE DOORWAY OF MY OFFICE. A PRODUCER WILL COME BY AND SAY, I, I HEARD ABOUT THIS STORY. WE START TALKING THROUGH HOW WE COULD DEVELOP IT AND TO REALLY CREATE, YOU KNOW, THE STORYLINES THAT WE NEED FOR THIS PROGRAM. AND SO THEY'RE VERY SIMPLE CONVERSATION. THOSE ARE THE BEST KIND OF ORGANIC, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS.

I HEARD THIS OR SOMEONE TOLD ME THIS, AND THEN YOU TAKE IT FROM THERE. WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE. EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY IS LOOKING FOR STORIES ALL THE TIME. EVERYBODY'S COLLEGIAL UNTIL A STORY HITS IN THE CARIBBEAN OR HAWAII. THAT'S RIGHT. 00, THEN IT HAS TO BE JOSH OR JOSH, WHY DO YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL FOR STORIES? I, I SOMEHOW, I, I MEAN, I DO. I ALWAYS END UP TRAVELING TO, YOU KNOW, PARIS, TEXAS, AND NOT PARIS, FRANCE, BUT. YOU KNOW, WE READ THE PAPERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND OF COURSE BY NOW WE'VE BEEN ON THE AIR FOR SO LONG THAT PEOPLE, COPS, PRIVATE EYES, ATTORNEYS, PROSECUTORS, LOCAL TV STATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA, THEY'LL CALL US AND THEY'LL SAY THIS LOOKS LIKE A GREAT STORY AND WE DON'T EVEN.

HOW IT'S GOING TO COME OUT, BUT IF YOU WAIT TOO LONG, SOMEBODY ELSE WILL GET THERE AHEAD OF YOU, SO WE START MAKING CALLS AS SOON AS WE HEAR ABOUT THINGS. ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO WAIT FOR A DECADE BEFORE YOU CAN GET ON TELEVISION. WELL, BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE USUALLY THE POLICE AND PROSECUTORS WON'T TALK WITH YOU UNTIL. IT'S OVER, SO YOU, YOU GOTTA, BUT IF YOU WAIT TILL IT'S OVER, YOU'LL BE BEATEN BY EVERYBODY ELSE. AND BLAINE, YOU'RE THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK. WHAT CAN YOU ADD TO THIS, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, STORIES AND WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED NOW SINCE YOU JUST STARTED?

SO A COUPLE OF THINGS. I MEAN, I THINK, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT I'VE BEEN A DATELINE VIEWER MUCH LONGER THAN I'VE BEEN A DATELINE CORRESPONDENT, SO IT'S VERY INTERESTING AND FUN TO COME AT IT FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE. I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT THERE'S A SECRET SAUCE ABOUT DATELINE, RIGHT, THAT KIND OF MAKES OUR SHOW DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS AND STAND OUT, AND THAT'S WHAT EACH CORRESPONDENT IS ABLE TO BRING. BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S THE CONNECTION THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE SPECIFICALLY TO THE FAMILIES. I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT ONE THING THAT REALLY STANDS OUT IS YOU KIND OF SEE THE HEART OF THE PERSON THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THIS TERRIBLE THING THAT HAPPENED, BUT IT'S ABOUT THIS PERSON, THE GIFTS THEY LEFT, THE PEOPLE THEY LEFT BEHIND. SO I LOVE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BRING THAT OUT AND IN TERMS OF CONNECTING TO PEOPLE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE THAT I'VE LOVED, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND IN THESE KIND OF EVENTS, BUT IT, IT'S REALLY CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS OF HAVING PEOPLE TRUST US AND KNOW US AND WHEN WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO TELL. WHAT SOMETIMES IS A DEVASTATING STORY OR A DARK PORTION OF THEIR LIFE OR SOME VIOLENCE THAT HAD HAD VISITED THEIR FAMILY, UM, THEY DON'T WANNA TELL IT JUST TO ANYBODY THEY WANNA TELL IT TO PEOPLE THEY KNOW WHO THEY RESPECT AND WHO THEY TRUST.

THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY, UM, WE HAVE THIS SORT OF UNWRITTEN RULE AT DATELINE THAT THE NO JERKS RULE. THERE'S ANOTHER WORD WE USE BASICALLY. BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT OUR PROGRAM ARE ALL WONDERFUL PEOPLE. THEY'RE BRILLIANT. THEY'RE INTELLIGENT, BUT DEEP DOWN THEY HAVE TREMENDOUS EMPATHY AND THEY'RE VERY KIND PEOPLE AND EVERYBODY WORKS TOGETHER REALLY WELL, YEAH, AND THAT'S WHY, AND NO ONE EVER, NO ONE EVER LEAVES THE SHOW. THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CAMERA, THE PEOPLE YOU DON'T SEE ARE THE BIG STARS OF DATELINE. THEY ARE, THEY ARE WHAT MAKE THAT PROGRAM AS FAR AS LIKE THE QUESTIONS, THEY JUST SAY.

ALL RIGHT, KEITH, JUST GO IN HERE AND ASK QUESTIONS OR DO YOU SPECIFICALLY WORK WITH A PRODUCER? HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO, VERY MUCH SO. IT'S ALWAYS A PARTNERSHIP AND UH THESE THINGS YOU CANNOT GO IN WITHOUT SOME SORT OF IDEA OF WHAT YOU NEED TO ASK THIS PERSON, BUT THEN. HAVING ESTABLISHED A KIND OF A PROGRAM OF APPROACHING THE INTERVIEW, IT'S THEN IT'S JUST A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEBODY WHO IS EITHER A VICTIM OF A CRIME, A FAMILY OF A VICTIM OF A CRIME, OR POTENTIAL PERPETRATOR, AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY BECAUSE MAYBE YOU WENT TO THE TRIAL OR YOU HEARD THEIR TESTIMONY, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT IF THEY'RE THE GUILTY PERSON.

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY IF THEY'RE THE PROSECUTOR, IF THEY'RE THE COP, IF THEY'RE THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY, IF THEY'RE A FAMILY MEMBER. SO AND LET THEM SAY IT. I WANT TO. HEAR HIM SAY IT AND THEN I'M GONNA THEN I'M GONNA ASK HIM QUESTIONS ABOUT IT AND THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT THEY'RE NOT EXPECTING LIKE THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THEY GET OUT THAT THING THAT THEY CAME HERE TO SAY AND BY THE TIME WE GET TO THESE INTERVIEWS, ALL OF US ARE SO WELL VERSED IN A STORY, RIGHT? EITHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OR READ OR GONE TO THE TRIAL LIKE JOSH SAID SO BY THE TIME WE GET INTO THOSE INTERVIEWS, YOU KNOW THE MATERIAL, YOU KNOW THE INFORMATION AND THE FACTS FORWARD AND BACKWARDS AND YOU CAN ANTICIPATE ANY SORT OF WAY THAT THE INTERVIEW COULD.

GO, UM, SO YOU HAVE TO GO IN WITH A GOOD LEVEL OF EDUCATION TO BE ABLE TO SAY NO THAT'S NOT TRUE. I SPENT SO MUCH OF MY CAREER DOING STORIES FOR THAT EVENING'S NEWSCAST, YOU KNOW, 1.5, 2 MINUTE STORIES, AND YOU GO IN AND DO AN INTERVIEW AND YOU'RE WATCHING THE CLOCK BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO EDIT. WHEN I DID MY FIRST DATELINE STORY, I WAS STRUCK BY HOW MUCH IT TAKES TO GET THE SOUND BITE. INTERVIEWS WOULD GO ON FOR 1 HOUR, 1 HOUR AND A HALF, WHICH WAS CRAZY TO ME, BUT THEN I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. YOU'D COME BACK AROUND MAYBE THE 3RD PASS AT THE BIG QUESTION AND SUDDENLY THERE IT WAS.

IT WOULD REVEAL ITSELF. I GET THE QUESTION ASKED A LOT OF TIMES, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE INSIDE THE PRISON SITTING WITH A STONE COLD KILLER, TOE TO TOE? IT'S NOT A HANNIBAL LECTER, LEX LUTHOR MASTER CRIMINAL EXPERIENCE. THEY'RE KIND OF DULL SCHMOTES AND. THEY THEY TELL THE SAME OLD STORY WRONGFULLY ACCUSED, WRONGFULLY CONVICTED, AND THEY TELL IT LIKE A SMOOTH RIVER ROCK OVER AND OVER. I BARELY GET A QUOTE OUT OF IT AT THE END OF IT. I DID AN INTERVIEW. I DID AN INTERVIEW A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, A STORY CALLED AFTER THE DANCE ABOUT A GUY WHO'D BEEN A SUSPECT FOR A LONG.

TIME, UH, IN HIS, UH, HIGH SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND'S MURDER. IT TURNED OUT HE HAD NEVER HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, BUT WHEN SHE WAS KILLED, HE SAID THEY KILLED HER AND THEN HE GAVE A DESCRIPTION OF ONE GUY AND THE POLICE LATCHED ONTO THAT DISCREPANCY AND HE WAS UNDER SUSPICION FOR A LONG TIME AND. UH, AND HE WAS NEVER CHARGED WITH ANYTHING, BUT I HAD THE PRODUCER. I SAID, UH, TELL THE CREW I DON'T WANNA SEE HIS SHIRT COLLAR. HE'S GONNA BE THE ONLY PERSON THAT WE PHOTOGRAPHED THAT, AND EVERYBODY ONLINE WAS LIKE, WELL, THAT GUY'S LOCKED UP.

EVEN WHEN YOU GUYS DO STORIES THAT WE ALREADY KNOW THAT ARE VERY FAMOUS, ONE OF THE ONES IN MY HOMEWORK, LESTER, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE READ THAT HIT ME WAS THE GANA TRAGEDY, THE JIM JONES STORY. I HAD A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THAT, A WEIRD PERSONAL CONNECTION FOLLOW ME SO MY MOM WAS A MANAGER. SHE MANAGED POWERS BOOTH, WHO WAS THE ACTOR WHO PLAYED JIM JONES IN THE GA STORY, AND THEY NEEDED AN ACTRESS TO BE THE FIRST PERSON TO DRINK THE KOOL-AID AND DROP, RIGHT? AND SO OF COURSE SHE SAID I'LL DO IT AND SO SHE DID IT AND I WAS VERY YOUNG AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TRAUMATIZED BY WATCHING HER DRINK KOOL-AID.

AND FALL ON THE GROUND THAT'S A WHOLE ANOTHER EXPENSIVE PSYCHIATRIST BILL BUT ANYWAY, UM, SO WHEN YOU GUYS DID IT I WAS LIKE I ALREADY KNOW THE STORY BUT I WANNA SEE HOW THEY TELL IT. I WANNA SEE HOW YOU UNFOLD IT WHAT ARE WE GONNA SEE THAT'S DIFFERENT? WHAT FOOTAGE DID YOU GET A HOLD OF AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT YOUR YOUR SHOW IS JUST YOU CAN TAKE THINGS WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND RETELL THE STORY FROM. A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH WITH THAT STORY, BUT THAT HAPPENED IN 1978.

I WAS COVERING CONGRESS AT THAT TIME, UH, UH, AND, UH, AND I SAW I KNEW LEO RYAN, UH, WHO WAS KILLED, AND WE WERE, IT, IT, IT FORTUNATELY HAD HAPPENED RECENTLY ENOUGH THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT YOU COULD STILL GET WHO WOULD TALK ABOUT IT. AND SO WE GOT A COUPLE OF PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT IT WHO HAD NEVER GIVEN TV INTERVIEWS BEFORE. THAT'S AMAZING, UM. THIS IS A RANDOM QUESTION, BUT YOU GUYS, BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE SUCH ICONIC VOICES, LESTER, IF YOU CALL RIGHT NOW TO AMERICAN AIRLINES TO CANCEL SOMETHING WITH THAT I'M LESTER HOLT VOICE.

WHAT KIND OF REACTION DO YOU GET? NOW, SOME, SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL BE COOL UNTIL THE END. ARE YOU RELATED TO LESTER HOLT ON TV? UM, IT'S, UH, YEAH, IT'S, I, I WAS DOWN IN, UH, TEXAS TWO WEEKS AGO WORKING ON A, A PROJECT, AND WE HAD SOMEONE WE NEED, WE NEEDED TO TALK TO ABOUT A PARTICULAR STORY. WE COULDN'T TRACK HER DOWN. WE GOT AN ADDRESS. WE WENT AND LITERALLY KNOCKED ON HER DOOR, AND THE DOOR OPENS, AND I SAID, HI, I'M LESTER HOLT FROM NBC, AND SHE GOES, OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD, I MEAN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK LIKE LESTER HOLT.

I, I AM LESTER. AND SHE INVITES ME INTO THE HOUSE AND SAYS, HONEY, LESTER HOLTZ'S IN THE HOUSE. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS, KEITH, BECAUSE YOU'RE DOWN THERE GRIMACING. QUESTION NUMBER ONE IS ALWAYS, DOES KEITH REALLY TALK LIKE THAT? AND THE ANSWER IS YES, HE DOES, THANK GOODNESS. I WAS, I WAS INTERVIEWING A SHERIFF ONE TIME AND I WAS TALKING TO THE SHERIFF AND I WAS ASKING HIM QUESTIONS AND I WAS ASKING HIM QUESTIONS THIS WAY, YOU KNOW. AND HE LOOKED AT ME, AND AFTER I ASKED A QUESTION, HE SAID, WILL YOU QUIT TALKING LIKE THAT?

UM, BUT I JUST LOVE THAT ABOUT THE SHOW BECAUSE EVEN WHEN IT'S JUST ON, UM, YOU HEAR THESE VOICES AND YOU FEEL FAMILIAR AND YOU JUST FEEL IT'S, IT'S GOOD STUFF, IT'S GOOD STUFF, SO YOU GUYS TELL STORIES IN A WAY THAT MAKES YOU FOLLOW THE STORY BUT THE VOICES AND THE CONNECTION IS SO ENGAGING. BLAINE, WHAT IS YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE STORY THAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR? I KNOW YOU HAVE. DONE AS MANY, BUT LIKE WHAT STOOD OUT LIKE WHAT KINDA SHOOK YOU? SO A LOT OF THEM OBVIOUSLY ARE VERY FRESH BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS LESS THAN A YEAR.

THERE IS ONE THOUGH, UM, A STORY CALLED JUSTICE FOR JOY, AND IT WAS ABOUT A WOMAN, UM, WHO WAS KILLED. THE PERSON WHO DID IT SET HER HOUSE ON FIRE, AND IT WAS HER YOUNG SON WHO DISCOVERED THIS. HE CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL ONE DAY. HE HAD JUST GOTTEN ALL A'S ON HIS REPORT CARD, AND HE WAS EXCITED TO TELL HIS MOM. I WAS LIKE 11 OR 12 YEARS OLD. IT WAS 30+ YEARS AGO. I INTERVIEWED HIM, OBVIOUSLY HE'S A GROWN MAN TODAY IN HIS 40S, BUT WHEN WE TALKED. HE WAS GIVING INFORMATION THAT REGISTERED AS AN 11 YEAR OLD CHILD, AND IT WAS SUCH AN EMOTIONAL INTERVIEW BECAUSE I COULD FEEL THAT COMING OUT AS A CHILD.

AT THE TIME I WAS PREGNANT WITH MY SECOND DAUGHTER AND SO ANYONE WHO'S EVER BEEN PREGNANT IN THE ROOM KNOWS THAT YOU'RE VERY EMOTIONAL, UM, THERE'S A LOT, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, BUT I REALLY JUST IDENTIFIED WITH HIM SO MUCH AND I JUST FELT FOR HIM SO MUCH SO THAT WAS JUST ONE CONNECTION. IT WAS ONLY MY. SECOND DATELINE STORY I'D EVER DONE, BUT IT WAS A CONNECTION THAT I FEEL THAT I'LL ALWAYS HAVE, SO THAT ALWAYS STICKS WITH ME. ANDREA, WHAT ABOUT YOU? I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY STORIES IT'S HARD TO SINGLE OUT. I, I LIKE ONES THAT INVOLVE SOME KIND OF ADVENTURE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S LIKE THOSE TRIVIA THINGS LIKE HANGING OFF THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN OR GOING TO ZAMBIA ON A SAFARI, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, THERE WAS AN ALLEGED KILLER THAT I CHASED DOWN IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND. UM, WE WERE COMING ALONG ON THE BOAT AND HE SAW US AND SO HE SHUT THE DOOR AND I WENT, OH MY GOSH, WE MISSED HIM, LIKE ON THE CATAMARAN, WE MISSED HIM. SO WE WENT BACK, WE GOT SOME LUNCH. THREE HOURS LATER I SAID, LET'S TAKE OUT ONE OF THOSE DINGHIES. SO WE GOT A GUY TO TAKE US ON THE DINGHY AND WE ALL REAL STEALTH WENT AROUND THE CATAMARAN, GOT HIM, JUST STARTED YELLING, DID YOU, DID YOU KILL HER? DID YOU KILL SARM? AND HE'S LIKE, GET, HE'S LIKE, GET OUT OF HERE, GET OUT OF HERE.

IT JUST TOOK A LITTLE BIT, TOOK A SECOND TRY. SO, BUT HE'S ALLEGED HE'S NOT, HE WAS NEVER, NEVER CHARGED. COMING UP NEXT, THE OTHER DATELINE CORRESPONDENTS AND I ARE GRILLED BY TWO DATELINE DIEHARDS, THE HOSTS OF A DATE WITH DATELINE. STICK AROUND TO FIND OUT WHICH CORRESPONDENT I WOULD CALL IF I WERE WRONGLY IMPRISONED. AND THE ONE THING LESTER CANNOT TRAVEL WITHOUT.

THE DATELINE CORRESPONDENTS ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT HOW WILL THEY FARE WHEN THEY'RE THE ONES IN THE HOT SEAT? JOINING US NOW ARE THE CO-HOSTS OF THE AWARD WINNING A DATE WITH DATELINE PODCAST, KIMBERLY ARNOLD AND KATIE MITCHELL. HI LADIES. HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. OH, I'M SO EXCITED THAT YOU'RE HERE. YOU GET TO ASK OUR GUYS, OUR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, SOME QUESTIONS. AND YOU GUYS ARE THE REAL EXPERTS, SO WE'RE GONNA LET YOU TAKE IT AWAY. WELL, I'M KIMBERLY. I'M KATIE. WE HAVE SOME FUN RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS TO END THE SHOW WITH FROM OUR LISTENERS AND SOME DATELINE LOVERS WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.

BUT BEFORE WE START, BLAINE, WELCOME TO THE DATELINE FAMILY. THANK YOU. HAVE YOU BEEN THE BRUNT OF ANY HAZING FROM MINK? NOT THAT I CAN TALK ABOUT IN A PUBLIC FORUM, NO, I'M KIDDING, UM, NOT AT ALL. HE'S BEEN LIKE MY DATELINE FAIRY GODFATHER, UH, JUST KIND OF GUIDING ME THROUGH THIS PROCESS. EVERYBODY'S BEEN FANTASTIC. WONDERFUL. FIRST QUESTION FOR JOSH MANKIEWICZ, AKA SIR MANKEY WITH THE HANKY, AS WE CALL HIM.

THE GQ DUDE. IF YOU WERE ARRESTED FOR A CRIME YOU OBVIOUSLY DID NOT COMMIT, WHICH HOST WOULD BE YOUR ONE PHONE CALL FROM JAIL? YEAH I WOULD DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET YOU OFF, MAN. YOU, YOU'RE SUPERHUMAN. YOU GET IT DONE. YOU'LL HANG OFF A BUILDING. YOU'LL HANG OFF A MOUNTAIN. I WOULD, YOU'LL WRESTLE A SNAKE. YEAH, I'D GET IT DONE BUT EVEN WITHOUT A LAW DEGREE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I'D STILL FIND A WAY. UM, OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR LESTER. YOU'VE TRAVELED ALL OVER THE WORLD. WHAT IS THE ONE GO TO ITEM FOR ALL OF OUR WORLD TRAVELERS OUT THERE?

SOMETHING YOU CAN'T TRAVEL WITHOUT TOILET PAPER. YOU BRING YOUR OWN ROLL. I, UH, IT DEPENDS ON WHERE I'M GOING. I NOT DOMESTICALLY, BUT WHEN I'M GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PLACES THAT ARE INHOSPITABLE, I'VE BEEN KNOWN TO DO THAT. AND THEN THE, WELL, THIS IS GONNA SOUND WEIRD, BUT I ALSO BRING PEANUT BUTTER. BECAUSE I CAN LIVE ON PEANUT BUTTER FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. THANK YOU. UH, OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR BLAINE. OK, WE SEE ON DATELINE OFTEN THAT PEOPLE IN THEIR B ROLE, IF THEY HAVE A SPECIAL HOBBY OR A SPECIAL TALENT, SOMETIMES WE GET TO SEE PEOPLE DO THAT SPECIAL TALENT ON DATELINE.

UM, DEPENDS. IT COULD BE POTTERY MAKING, THINGS LIKE THAT. IF YOU WERE IN A DATELINE EPISODE, WHAT WOULD YOUR B-ROLL BE? A SPECIAL TALENT. IT COULD JUST BE STARING WISTFULLY OUT A WINDOW HOLDING A CUP OF COFFEE. IT COULD BE, UM, IT'S DEFINITELY NOT SWIMMING. UM, EVERYBODY KNOWS I'M TAKING SWIMMING LESSONS, CANNOT SWIM, BUT I'M GETTING THERE. I LIKE TO RUN. I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED RUNNING BY A BODY OF WATER. PROBABLY BE IT, YES, NAILED IT. EXCELLENT, UH, QUESTION FOR QUEEN ANDREA, WHO WOULD YOU RATHER INTERVIEW AGAIN, NICHOLAS ROSSI OR CHARLIE SHEEN?

OH MY GOSH, WOW, UM, NICHOLAS ROSSI, QUESTION FOR KEITH, APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY THINGS DO YOU THINK YOU'VE LEANED AGAINST IN YOUR LIFETIME? AND LET ME THINK ABOUT THAT. WHICH WAS YOUR FAVORITE LEAN ALSO, WHAT'S YOUR GO TO LEAN? I LEAN ON JOSH. IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T WORK VERY WELL. NO, METAPHORICALLY, LEAN ON THIS MAN. YOU LOVE HIM, RIGHT? YEAH, I LOVE LEAN. YOU GUYS GIVE EACH OTHER A HARD TIME, BUT YOU HAVE THE BEST RELATIONSHIP. BFF. YOU JUST TOOK AWAY THE MYSTIQUE. THE ONE, THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT KEITH IS THAT KEITH'S BEEN VERY TOLERANT OF ALL MY ANTICS OVER THE YEARS.

VERY NICE OF HIM. OH, AND THAT QUESTION WAS SPONSORED BY OUR FRIEND EMILY WHO'S HERE WHO HOSTS THE KEITH LEANS ON THINGS INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT. AND HALLMARK CARDS. AND OUR FINAL QUESTION IS FOR DENNIS. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY YOU IN THE MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND CAREER? PLAY ME. WHY WOULD ANYBODY WANT TO PLAY ME? OR WOULD YOU PLAY YOURSELF? UH, LET'S SEE, WHO DO I LIKE? OH, I LIKE THE GUY IN THE SLOW HORSES. GARY OLDMAN GARY OLDMAN. WHAT'S HIS NAME? GARY. WHAT ABOUT LIKE GEORGE CLOONEY WOULD BE GOOD. GOOD CHOICE. CLOONEY, YEAH, DONE.

GEORGE CLOONEY COULD DO IT. OH, NO, NO, THAT'D BE GOOD. I'M NOT A CLOONEY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS. WE COULD HAVE ASKED A MILLION MORE. WE HAVE SO MANY SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. THANK YOU. LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR KIMBERLY AND KATIE.

TO CLOSE OUT OUR INCREDIBLE NIGHT AT THE PINNACLE, WE TURNED TO THE AUDIENCE FOR QUESTIONS, AND THEY DELIVERED. THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION, HOW DOES DATELINE AVOID SENSATIONALISM? AND MORE ARE UP NEXT.

SO YOU ALL ASK QUESTIONS AND I HAVE SOME HERE SO WE GOTTA GET WE'RE GONNA RAPID FIRE THEM ALRIGHT HERE WE GO KEITH, THE SHOES, HOW MANY UH PAIRS OF CHUCK'S DO YOU OWN? I LOST TRACK ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO. I THINK I HAVE WHAT A LOT OF HIS SHOE SAYS DATELINE EMBROIDERED IN IT. YEAH, THESE ARE, THESE ARE MY FAVORITES. THEY SAY DATELINE DATELINE ON ONE SIDE, 30 FOR 30 YEARS ON THE OTHER. THEY'RE AIR DATELINES. THAT'S KIND OF COOL. JOSH, IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE DATELINE CORRESPONDENT, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?

FOR GOD'S SAKE, NOT ME. I COULDN'T LISTEN TO THAT CONSTANT COMPLAINING. UH, YEAH, UH, I'M GONNA GO WITH BLAINE THIS TIME. WISE CHOICE. LANE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. SHE'LL TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOU ON THE ISLAND. I'LL BE SO NICE. UH, LET'S LET'S SEE, UH, BLAINE, UH, WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU TO STEP INTO THE LEGACY OF THE NEWEST REPORTER WHILE ALSO BRINGING YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE TO THE STORIES YOU TELL? YOU GOT THE DEEP QUESTION. I KNOW THAT IS, THAT'S NOT RAPID FIRE, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY HAS, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR. I'LL SAY THAT IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO BE SO WELCOMED AND SO EMBRACED NOT ONLY BY EVERYBODY HERE ON THE STAGE, BUT ALL OF YOU, UM.

I'VE GOTTEN THE KINDEST WORDS AND JUST THE THE THE KINDEST AFFIRMATIONS AND I APPRECIATE THAT IT HAS BEEN VERY FUN TO ONE STRETCH JOURNALISTICALLY BUT ALSO TO REALLY KIND OF TAKE THIS PEEK INSIDE THE HUMAN MIND WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT. I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH IT IT AMAZES ME THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT MURDER IS THE BEST AND AN APPROPRIATE. SOLUTION AND SO I, I GUESS I'VE JUST BEEN FASCINATED BY, BY DOING THIS, BY DOING THIS JOB. I WANT TO JUST ADD ONE THING IF I MAY, THAT THERE'S A REAL LEARNING CURVE TO KNOWING HOW TO DO A DATELINE STORY, TO KNOWING HOW TO, TO TO, TO DO A STORY THAT'S 2 HOURS LONG THAT HAS TO SPIN OUT OVER 11 OR 12 ACTS.

IT'S HARD. SHE'S FAST. SHE'S A QUICK LEARNER AND HAS MASTERED IT. ALMOST INSTANTLY IT'S AMAZING JUST WONDERFUL TO WATCH ACTUALLY LOVE THAT LOVE THAT, UH, LESTER, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG TO PLAY ON THE BASS? OH, YOU KNOW, UH, LOVELY DAY

YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THEM. DENNIS, IF YOU WEREN'T A DATELINE CORRESPONDENT, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? I WOULD BE SITTING BY MY POOL READING HARRY BOSCH NOVELS. I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT. SOMEONE SAID, I JUST WANNA HEAR KEITH SAY WOW. KEITH, WOULD YOU SAY IT? I'M SURE. WOW, WOW, WOW. THANK YOU. AND LAST QUESTION, UM, DATELINE, LIKE ALL TELEVISION SHOWS, HAS A PROFIT MOTIVE. HOW DO YOU STICK TO SINCERE STORYTELLING AND AVOID SENSATIONALISM? WE DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO A STORY BECAUSE WE DO A STORY.

WE HAVE, WE WANNA DO THE BEST WE POSSIBLY CAN. IF IT MAKES MONEY, WELL, YOU KNOW, LUCKY FOR NBC. IF IT DOESN'T, LUCKY FOR ME. THAT'S THE BEST ANSWER I COULD THINK OF. ANYBODY ELSE WANNA FOLLOW THAT UP, OR THAT'S I LIKE THIS, UH, I LIKE THIS NEW KEITH AFTER DARK THING. HEGSETH AFTER DARK A DIFFERENT GUY. I LOVE IT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE EVENING. I MEAN, NOW WHEN YOU WATCH DATELINE, YOU CAN SAY THESE ARE ALL YOUR BESTIES BECAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN HANGING OUT. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND I WANNA THANK UH THE PINNACLE FOR HOSTING US TONIGHT.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR HOSPITALITY AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT REALLY AND AND AND LETTING ME DO THIS. THIS HAS BEEN A PINCH ME MOMENT.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Talking Dateline: "Dateline Confidential""?

Josh Mankiewicz (Guest), Holly Robinson Peete (Guest), Lester Holt (Guest), Keith Morrison (Guest), Blaine Alexander (Guest), Kimberly Arnold (Guest), Katie Mitchell (Guest), Andrea Canning (Host).

What is "Talking Dateline: "Dateline Confidential"" about?

"Dateline Confidential" provides an insider's perspective on how "Dateline" episodes are crafted, featuring a discussion from a live event in Nashville where host Holly Robinson Peete and fans posed probing questions to the show's team, including anchor Lester Holt. The session explores the storytelling process, revealing the organic origins of story selection and the collaborative dynamics…

What is mentioned in this Dateline NBC episode?

6 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including A Date With Dateline, General Hap Arnold, Katie Mitchell, Keith Mark, Gana Tragedy, Harry Bosch. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Talking Dateline: "Dateline Confidential""?

The episode runs 23 min; the transcript is about 4,030 words in 39 timestamped sections.

More from Dateline NBC

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.