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Dear Diane, Save the News— Nix the Anchor Job

Sawyer shouldn't take post with 'marginal' journalistic worth

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 4, 2009 2:10 PM CDT

(Newser) – Nightly network news is fading into irrelevance—and if Diane Sawyer wants to make a difference in the media, she should turn down Charlie Gibson’s job so ABC can pay for some real reporting, writes Jack Shafer for Slate. The broadcasts have essentially become infotainment, an expert says, “aping the dreadful local news that they once disdained,” writes Shafer.

“The journalistic value of these programs is marginal at this point,” the media professor notes. And it doesn’t much matter who reads the news “as long as that person is properly groomed and doesn’t drool," Shafer opines. “If you really want to make an indelible mark on journalism,” he advises Sawyer, “turn down the job and persuade ABC News to divert the millions it ordinarily pays its anchor and spend it on 50 or 80 additional reporters to break stories.”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

In this image released by ABC, ABC News' Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer are shown at the White House in Washington on June 24, 2009. (AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute)

Diane Sawyer, of "Good Morning America," leaves the funeral of Walter Cronkite at St. Bartholomew's Church on Park Ave. in New York, Thursday, July 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)

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It's up to Sawyer to decide on her legacy: Ending her career as one of the last over-paid network announcers or helping ABC to plot a new news course. - Jack Shafer

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 14 comments

hwoodude

Sep 5, 2009 12:54 PM CDT

With all due respect to "real" TV journalists...not the "talking (yelling!) heads" rating hounds that permeate Fox News, et al plus all the local podunk wanna be's...the days of Walter Cronkite's intelligent, perceptive reporting of news is over. Twenty years of increasing "doofus" news plus Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Jerry Springer , et al, stunted media viewers I.Q'.s into one syllable, crash and burn, headline readers/viewers with neither the attention span or intellect to support major news efforts. With book and newspaper publishers losing money and closing , the internet will soon be thee major source of information in America. PBS and some cable documentary entities will probably survive...but the Sarah Palins and Glenn Becks, etc., who produce ratings and sell books, will get future attention, money and ratings. Why? Water seeks it's own level...and, unfortunately America is drowning in a sea of kids on twiiter, email, youtube, viewing moronic movies, and websites, spending their lives watching and listening and learning from people who perform to make money off viewers. (It's called "dumbiing down!" ) Watching quality, insightful TV news, reading challanging newspapers or books, plus spending time with educated people who don't think exactly the way they do is - sadly, so very sadly, not a major part of their growing, learning life.

jaguarj

Sep 5, 2009 4:57 AM CDT

Palin do more for women? OMG..you are out of your f-----g mind. Never been more horrified or embarassed by any one of the female species as by her. She doesn't have it, never had it, nor will she EVER have it!!!

DontLikeYou___

Sep 5, 2009 1:56 AM CDT

Diane Sawyer, a woman, in this position is good. Palin, a woman, in the White House will do more for women than 1000 Diane Sawyers.

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Dear Diane, Save the News— Nix the Anchor Job