CNN’s chief national security correspondent, Jim Sciutto, is a commanding television presence, getting to the heart of the issues. At home, however, things change. “Jim doesn’t get to ask the questions; instead, he answers them,” says Sciutto’s wife, ABC News correspondent Gloria Riviera. Dad to boys Tristan, six, and Caden, four, Sciutto, 44, is at the mercy of a unique inquiring mind: the curious kid. He’s on the hook for Do robots have blood cells? and If the world was made of chocolate, what would we eat for breakfast? Riviera, who met Sciutto while both were on assignment in Baghdad in 2003, loves that about him. “This is a man who analyzes the Mideast and builds a Lego Batmobile with equal fervor; every moment he is with the boys counts.”
His Commitment
Gloria: “Jim lived and breathed reporting from war zones. Two weeks before I was due with our first child, he was reporting from Iraq when his convoy was hit by an RPG. It was a turning point. When he got back to London, where we were living, he decided to take a break from Iraq. Nothing, he said, was worth that kind of risk.”
His Fan Club
Tristan: “He is the best dad because he loves me so much.”
His Grace Under Pressure
Gloria: “He delivered our second son at home, and we had not planned a home birth! When it was all unfolding, like lightning, I completely lost it, and Jim kept his cool. We actually have the 911 call, and Jim is completely in control and unfazed.”
His Roots
Gloria: “Jim’s father was his best man, and remains his best friend. His sisters are his closest confidantes, and his mother was his heroine. I know Jim has tremendous respect for the power of family.”
His Parenting Style
Gloria: “He’s easygoing, and doesn’t see anything wrong with mac and cheese two nights in a row. The best thing he does is help me parent less, to sit back and let teeth go unbrushed and simply enjoy hanging out, laughing and playing with our kids.”
The Best Thing To Do With Daddy
Caden: “Uppies!” (uppies is when Jim carries him)
Tristan: “Spending the whole day with him.”
His Coolest Wardrobe Item
Tristan: “His London-taxi cuff links, because he told me they remind him of us since we were born in London. And Caden was almost born in a London taxi!”
His Alternate Persona
Tristan and Caden: “He is the Tickle Monster!”
The Lessons He Passes Down
Tristan: “To eat chocolate . . . but not too much chocolate.”
His Globetrotting Style
Gloria: “Jim’s changed his share of diapers on planes! We high-five when we get new visa stamps. We’ve been yurt camping in Mongolia; trekking in Yunnan Province, China; exploring in Cambodia, Indonesia, and more. We never let the ages of our children stop us from discovering the world around us.”
