On his hit shows “On the Road with Steve Hartman” and “Kindness 101,” CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman shines a light on the extraordinary human beings he meets across the country, the nuggets of wisdom they share, and the compassionate actions they take in response to the needs of those around them: a girl raising money to grant ‘wishes’ for local nursing home residents, popular kids ensuring students on the fringes never have to eat lunch alone, or a man who simply takes the time to sit and listen to his neighbors. “We all need examples,” Steve says, “We can't just be told to do these things. We need to see people doing them and see the results that they earn before we can really want to internalize it and make it part of our lives.” 

In moments when the country feels especially divided–like this election year–Steve’s secret is that he refuses to dwell in negativity. He believes that focusing instead on the very best in humanity, one story at a time, especially in news coverage, is the key to finding our way back to one another. “You put seeds out there and they may not grow right away. A seed can sit in the soil for 20 years and still come up,” Steve says, “Changing our course starts with empathy…and helping others.”

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Steve Hartman has been a CBS News correspondent for almost thirty years. He’s best known for his weekly feature segment “On the Road With Steve Hartman” modeled after the late, great newsman Charles Kuralt’s long-running series of the same name. On the show, Steve shares heartfelt stories about the incredible people he meets as he travels around the country. With the help of two of his kids, Meryl and Emmett, he hosts a segment called “Kindness 101,” airing weekly on CBS Mornings. They cover everything from purpose, altruism, gratitude, and empathy. Stories that are now being used to teach character in classrooms all around the world. 

You can find more of Steve’s work on CBSNews.com and watch his stories from On the Road and Kindness 101 on the CBS Evening News and CBS Mornings YouTube channels. 

Watch the stories mentioned in this episode:

• Kindness 101 with Steve Hartman: How to find courage (Gerald Hodges)
• Kindness 101: A lesson in listening (Al Nixon)
• 11-year-old girl grants wishes to nursing home residents (Ruby)
• At one high school, no one eats lunch alone (We Dine Together)
• Stories about dads with Steve Hartman and more (George Hartman)

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Our theme music was written by Andy Ogden and produced by Tim Lauer, Andy Ogden and Julian Raymond. All other music that you hear in this episode is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. 

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