Quote:
Originally Posted by wdfifteen
This is the reason I don't understand the importance of this. I may be able to name two ABC/CBS/NBS news people because I've heard the names, but I couldn't identify them with a particular network or program. These people don't register on my radar, let alone what they do.
I'm astonished that anyone finds these people important enough to care about.
|
Many people still get their news from TV
TV Is Americans' Main Source of News (55% according to this 2013 Gallup poll.) With that being said, I think it is important that there is a certain level of trust in the people providing us with this information. I don't really remember where Brian Williams came from. There was some talk of Tom Brokaw retiring and then Williams got the job over some more prominent reporters at NBC (Matt Lauer and Stone Phillips to name a few.)
I grew up watching Tom Brokaw (NBC), Peter Jennings (ABC) and Dan Rather (CBS) on the nightly news. I didn't have one I watched every night but I did usually watch one of them nightly for the world news. I trusted all of them to deliver the news accurately and in the old Edward R. Murrow fashion of checking their facts and reporting impartially. Rather eventually became a disappointment but both Jennings and Brokaw were above reproach in my book. Bob Schieffer (CBS), Katie Couric (CBS) and Diane Sawyer (ABC) all provided what I felt was good reporting for the time they were on the nightly newscasts. Brian Williams didn't. With Williams stating his memory may be incorrect, it calls into question his ability and integrity as a reporter.