In a blog entry I recently read on The Daily Beast about the handover of the ABC World News Tonight anchor desk to Diane Sawyer. In the article, the author talked about the diminishing role that the news anchor position has. It does not have the power it once did. "On days when there hasn’t been a national triumph or tragedy, it’s really just 22 minutes of old news, watched by 7 million old people—and hardly a cash cow," said The Daily Beast's Rebecca Dana. Only 7 million viewers is still significant.
Despite the naysayers, television still holds a special place for all of us. Just about every American has access to TV. Internet proliferation is lower, and there is power in the TV. In the last few weeks, my station, WXII, has helped bring focus to workers and subcontractors not being paid. In part, our coverage brought light to these subjects and may actually make some difference. About a month ago, our reporter Kim did a story about how the regional food bank was running on empty. Within a day, WXII hosted a food drive and did enough stories that people across the Triad decided to make a difference.
The Internet is great, but it is yet to be a unifying system. We suddenly have access to near infinite amounts of information. However, we still stick to our little corners of the ideological spectrum. Television unites us more than anything else. The amount of good that can come out of this medium's power is extraordinary. Edward R. Murrow of course put it best in his speech to the Radio-Television News Director's Association in 1958:
This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box. -Edward R. Murrow
Goodnight and good luck.
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