Oprah Winfrey might be involved in many things, but she isn'tgetting mixed up in either politics or newspaper publishing.
Those were among the tidbits the media giant offered Tuesday nightin a rare television interview granted to CNN's Larry King.
Winfrey, who appeared on the set of "Larry King Live" in New YorkCity, quickly shot down a caller's question asking if she everthought about running for U.S. Senate or president.
"No, ma'am, I would not," Winfrey said. Television "is the bestforum in the world. I think all the senators wish they had that forthemselves."
Winfrey said her desire is to raise awareness for issues includingAIDS, and she's in a good spot to do that now, thank you.
"I can do a much more profound job sitting here on the Larry Kingshow or using my own show than I can trying to be in politics," shesaid. "I just feel this is the best forum in the world for reachingpeople. . . . Politics isn't for me."
Neither is newspapering.
King asked Winfrey about what he termed a rumor that she isinterested in buying the Chicago Sun-Times, which HollingerInternational Inc. officials have said could be sold.
"That's a rumor I hadn't heard," she replied.
When asked if she wanted to own a newspaper, Winfrey, who alreadypublishes her own magazine, didn't hedge.
"No," she told King.
Tuesday's interview didn't reveal much that hard-core Oprahfanatics didn't already know. She told King she has no plans to adopta child. And she has no interest in doing any more acting. Kingdidn't even bother with questions on her longtime love interest,Stedman Graham.
But the interview did give her a chance to talk about her recentmonth-long trip to South Africa. And it gave King a chance to plugtwo specials about her trip: a Dec. 17 ABC special and a Dec. 22"Oprah" show.
She warned that not enough people truly understand what ishappening in Africa with the AIDS epidemic and the growing number oforphans left to fend for themselves because of it.
"If we as a nation do not do whatever we can to support thesechildren, we're going to have social chaos in 10 years," shepredicted.
During her trip, Winfrey said she handed out gifts to 50,000children, which she said was: "the single happiest day of my life."
"I wanted to be able to bring a day of joy to children who wouldnot have had a day of joy," she said. "Because I remember in my lifethere were times when people had done that for me."
Winfrey spoke briefly about the girls school she is building inSouth Africa, and urged others to get involved by writing a check orwriting to their congressman.
"I'm always looking for ways to that I can use myself and use mylife, use my money, use my time, use my energy," she said. "What I'minterested in doing now is creating a lasting impact. My efforts aregoing into schools because education is freedom."
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