Monday, March 17, 2003

Come back Walter Cronkite!

I was watching this mornings "breaking news" on the various "news" channels. I had to turn it off after a while because watching a bunch of breathless journos running around was to exhausting. It made me long for the days of TV reporters like Walter Cronkite who, even in crisis situations, continued to use a calm, measured voice to present the news. Who can forget Walter quietly reading the news wire announcing JFK's death? There was a man who knew that one of the first jobs of a reporter was to keep the excitement level to a minimum because it could lead to mistakes and just heighten the anxiety of already worried viewers. There was a reason Cronkite was considered the most trusted man in America. It was because he could be relied upon not to frighten you while delivering the most awful news. He's the guy you would like to have tell you that your father/wife/child is dead. Instead we have yahoos who are rushing to your door to ask you how it makes you feel to know your mother/husband/child was cut in half by a combine. Blech!

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