From Solid Reporting to Souffles
Say Goodbye to Solid News and Analyses
If we didn't already realize it, it must now be obvious to even the most dense 'average' American that the legacy of Edward R. Murrow has been trampled and disfigured by the rush for feel good celebrity entertainment over the reality of sharp journalism. This means that the section of the First Amendment to our Constitution which addresses the need of a free and skeptical press to help keep politics honest and the public informed is also vanishing into the mist of the past.
The excellent and timely movie, "Good Night and Good Luck" which concentrated on a team of solid newsmen throwing a pointed, well articulated and vastly knowledgeable wrench into the workings of Joseph McCarthy's witch hunt in the name of his ego and drummed up public fear was an obvious reminder of what the elements of good news reporting, interview techniques, and presentation used to be. It is, therefore, especially distasteful that CBS, the network that brought Murrow's ethics and tenacity to the public view should chose to make it doubly plain that celebrity faces and feel good entertainment are more important than quality reporting or substantive news.
After much press speculation on potential salary over appropriate qualifications, Katie Couric is leaving a touchy feely morning show on a different network to suddenly metamorphose into CBS News' evening talking head. Instead of a somber, short-haired masculine anchor, an adoring public can watch a middle aged woman who still accepts cute and perky as appropriate adjectives and adverbs describing her style. How droll.
There is nothing inappropriate in seeking a qualified female for this particular position, especially when there are solid journalists out there like Christina Amanpour at CNN, although we are probably better served as a discerning public in having reporters of her credentials out in the field reporting the news of the day instead of trying to personally make it. It is, however, short changing us by substituting a talk show hostess for a sharp, experienced intellect.
How strange that we'll have a lugubrious and glib aging pixie with a massive ego and a hidden mean streak being chipper and upbeat while gushing out positive messages as the country slides further into Hell. When cute and perky relates world wide events, political problems, and disasters, we can all think serenely of puppies and baby ducks (cute) and react like the characters in a Gilbert and Sullivan musicale (perky). What a pathetic epitaph for the tradition and attention to detail of Edward R. Murrow. Perhaps he'll mumble the libretto to H.M.S. Pinafore as he spins in his grave.
If we didn't already realize it, it must now be obvious to even the most dense 'average' American that the legacy of Edward R. Murrow has been trampled and disfigured by the rush for feel good celebrity entertainment over the reality of sharp journalism. This means that the section of the First Amendment to our Constitution which addresses the need of a free and skeptical press to help keep politics honest and the public informed is also vanishing into the mist of the past.
The excellent and timely movie, "Good Night and Good Luck" which concentrated on a team of solid newsmen throwing a pointed, well articulated and vastly knowledgeable wrench into the workings of Joseph McCarthy's witch hunt in the name of his ego and drummed up public fear was an obvious reminder of what the elements of good news reporting, interview techniques, and presentation used to be. It is, therefore, especially distasteful that CBS, the network that brought Murrow's ethics and tenacity to the public view should chose to make it doubly plain that celebrity faces and feel good entertainment are more important than quality reporting or substantive news.
After much press speculation on potential salary over appropriate qualifications, Katie Couric is leaving a touchy feely morning show on a different network to suddenly metamorphose into CBS News' evening talking head. Instead of a somber, short-haired masculine anchor, an adoring public can watch a middle aged woman who still accepts cute and perky as appropriate adjectives and adverbs describing her style. How droll.
There is nothing inappropriate in seeking a qualified female for this particular position, especially when there are solid journalists out there like Christina Amanpour at CNN, although we are probably better served as a discerning public in having reporters of her credentials out in the field reporting the news of the day instead of trying to personally make it. It is, however, short changing us by substituting a talk show hostess for a sharp, experienced intellect.
How strange that we'll have a lugubrious and glib aging pixie with a massive ego and a hidden mean streak being chipper and upbeat while gushing out positive messages as the country slides further into Hell. When cute and perky relates world wide events, political problems, and disasters, we can all think serenely of puppies and baby ducks (cute) and react like the characters in a Gilbert and Sullivan musicale (perky). What a pathetic epitaph for the tradition and attention to detail of Edward R. Murrow. Perhaps he'll mumble the libretto to H.M.S. Pinafore as he spins in his grave.
posted by kaz at 7:28 PM
1 Comments:
SOOOO true. The lack of substantive television news reporting leaves a constant ping on my pet peeve monitor.
We watch the international news as often as we can find it - we also subscribe to a French TV channel through cable and the images and news stories they report are so much more in depth than anything this country produces that it can shock one in the beginning.
I have no patience with the emphasis on cute and perky, though - somehow something has to change. Maybe?
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