Brokaw also stressed that journalists should understand the challenges faced by the people they are covering.
"If I could, I would take anyone who comes to power in American journalism and make them subject to a news story," he said. The story, Brokaw said, would be on the front page of every newspaper.
"Then they would have a keen understanding of what so many interesting people go through."
After his address, Brokaw fielded questions from the audience.
One student asked Brokaw about his most memorable interview.
"The ordinary people, whose names I can't remember, are the most memorable people who I covered," he responded.
Brokaw also said in response to a questioner that the collapse of communism in 1989 was the most important event he has covered.
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