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Retro Newscasters

by on Jan. 18, 2010, under Life

6a00e552f1c77b8834011572158f04970b-800wiI admit it. I have been watching TV and the horrible scenes that play out in front of me from Haiti. It has touched me to see such daring rescues and at the same time it has had a profound effects one me to see so much death. I feel powerless. I donate, I light candles and I send light. I flip through the stations here and there to catch some of the news. Last night while flipping through the news, some of the newscaster caught my eye. I realized that we depend on these newscasters to give us the details of such tragic events. These newscasters are what connects us to the events. As I watched these newscasters give the details it got me thinking…

Newscasters have come a long way. Sure the old newscasters used to be raw and personal and they were the kind of newscasters you would invite into your living room to give you the latest details. They had integrity and a journalistic ethic that was true and sincere. They were not so much about ratings but rather getting the story to you and doing it direct and correct. Anymore, many of these newscasters look like they are just waiting for someone to discover them so they can become the next Harrison Ford or Brad Pitt.

 I miss Charles Gibson who retired. I’ve watched him sinceI can remember which seems like forever.  In fact, I miss quite a few of our old newscasters. Yes, TV has become modern and colorful with technology and changes. After all what is more important than the news is how my newscaster looks gosh darn it. They must have white teeth, perfect complexion and wear the latest fashions. They have to be able to smile as they say tens of thousands of people have perished. They need to look plastic and pretend they simply do not care what is happening to the world around them. After all, they must be perfect so I will watch them.

I mean come on folks, who cares about Walter Cronkite. Do we want someone who really cares deeply about the tragic events such as Haiti? I mean look what he did when Kennedy died. He had feelings. He cared, he cried on TV and he didn’t care what he looked like or what anyone else said. He was deeply moved by the assassination and shared those feelings of sadness and disbelief with the nation.  Cronkite was authoritative, this-is-what-happened-today kind of newscaster, yet he had compassion and was for the people. He had high journalistic standards, and always ended with “And that’s the way it is.” And quite frankly that was the truth. You don’t hear people say “that’s the way it is” anymore.

I would wonder how Chet Huntley and David Brinkley would have covered this tragic story. I am unsure, but I know they would have ended the story with “Goodnight, David — Goodnight, Chet.”  Whatever happened to some of our old newscasters of the past? Well of course they are either long gone or just simply enjoying life, but how can we forget the likes of John Chancellor, Charles Kuralt, Tom Brokaw and Roger Mudd, Frank Reynolds, Bob Schieffer, Eric Sevareid, Charles Osgood, Ed Bradley and Harry Reasoner?

These were the newscasters that shaped our news. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad to see more women newscasters and more news worthy stations. I suppose I am sad that it is about ratings and not the story. When events like Haiti happens, I can care less what a person looks like, I just want the news. I also prefer to have my news honest. Not candy coated with a smile. By the way, who was/is your favorite newscaster?

My thoughts go out to the people in Haiti and all the folks that are helping them.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 8:12 am and is filed under Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • Ferraribubba

    Since I used to toil at the old L.A. Herald-Examiner back in the day, I met many sportscasters.  Chick Hearn, Vin Scully, the old Monday Night Football crew, Frank, Howie, and Dandy Don, but the only true newscaster that I ever met was Walter Winchell.
    Walter was an American Icon back in the 1930′s to the late -50′s on radio. His, “Hello Mr. snd Mrs. America, and all the ships at sea,” was a thing that most families gathered around the radio every night to listen to. I know we did.
    I was covering a Dodger baseball game in the early 1960′s in the pressbox at Dodger Stadium, when suddenly the door burst open and in walks the one and only Walter Winchell with a Hollywood hooker on each arm. The hookers were sleezy but beautiful. You know, you’d never take them home to mom, but you’d kill to date one. Or better yet, both.
    AS soon as Howard and the girls walked in, the game was forgotten and he proceeded to hold court.
    No mere mortals dared talk when Wichell let the pearls of wisdom spew foth, so we all just listened to him, while ogling the girls.
    After about 10 minutes, and after consuming two beers, he left into the night, as suddenly as he appeared, and we got back to the business at hand. Watching Sandy Koufax pitch another 2-hit win for the Dodgers.
    End of story.

    Yer pal, Ferrari Bubba

    • http://tylerwoods.org Tyler Woods

      Cool now those sound like the good old days!

  • People

    Yeah, I miss the good old days.  Where you could buy tiny things for 20 cents a pack, people cared for strangers, and girls couldn’t get into fights (gets rid of some of the pain).  And boy’s could be trusted (to some extent). Life was simiple back then. Of course, I love the technolougy now, but, things were simiple. And idotiots weren’t common (like they are now, no offence). Nothing rude intended in this mesage. 
                                -Fellow Person in your Neighborhood,
                                                                People (aka Natalie)

  • erniemccray

    I hear what you’re saying but let’s not over glamorize the past. It’s always been about the ratings, that’s how it got to be the way it is now. The networks knew what they had with the likes of Cronkrite. Many announcers today would show their emotions if someone like Kennedy were assassinated. And I think Huntley and Brinkley who go way back would, if they were alive today, handle the Haitian crises with honesty and forthrightness and end with their signature sign off in just the right tones, encouraging us as citizens to pay attention and help in any way we can.
    I guess I’m a little hesitant when it comes to over praising the Good Old Days and the simple times, because the farther back I go from today the closer I get, once again, to sitting in the back of the bus – while the news went on as though Jim Crow was no more than a minor skin irritation.
    Anyway, this wasn’t meant to sound so scolding but there was good and bad way back when and there’s good and bad now. And you’re a purveyor of much that is good.

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