Posts Tagged ‘Journalism’
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Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
As a journalist I have been both appalled and amused by the deterioration of network news broadcasts. I was raised in an era when network anchormen were among the most respected individuals in the nation.
Walter Cronkite was an icon, a trusted figure whose words had merit and whose reputation was respected. His nightly broadcast featured the news that the nation needed to know. With ever-increasing technological advances network news broadcasts have devolved into something barely recognizable as news programming. They have morphed into high-tech displays of infotainment, a “TMZ Nightly News” if you will.
News directors have replaced the reasonableness of a Harry Reasoner with the wizardry of Harry Potter. The news is now about eye-catching graphics, life-sized touch screens, and a panel of purported Dumbledores. Given the success of the Twilight books and movies, I imagine it is only a matter of time before a vampire anchors a news desk.
Not long ago I stared in startled disbelief at my television screen as NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams announced to the nation in a somber tone news not of a revolt or of a riot but of a corporate logo change by Starbucks. Perhaps he did this to prevent a revolt or riot. We would not want to awaken to a world where sleepy caffeine-deprived Starbuckians are unable to locate the chain on every corner.
I next witnessed CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric (more…)
Tags: ABC World News, anchor, Brian Williams, CBS Evening News, Census, Comedy Central, Cronkite, Diane Sawyer, Harry Potter, Jon Stewart, Journalism, Katie Couric, Modern Family, NBC Nightly News, News, social media, Television, The Daily Show, Twilight
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Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Phil in 2012
By the time you read this, Punxsutawney Phil will have already made his dire prediction: 152 more weeks of an Obama presidency. He added that at this time last year he predicted Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts but nobody listened.
In a break from tradition, the sage groundhog released his prediction ahead of his scheduled annual appearance, instead distributing a statement to the media. But why? (more…)
Tags: election, funny, Groundhog, Groundhog Day, humor, Journalism, Phil, politics, president, Punxsutawney
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
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