He started as a journalist at "The Sunday Times of London". He returned home to write for "New Orleans Times-Picayune/States-Item." In 1978 he started as a political correspondent for Time Magazine. He became the editor of Time in 1996. After 23 years at the magazine he joined CNN as CEO in 2001. He left in 2001 to head up the Washington DC think tank, The Aspen Institute.