Remembering Peter: Messages From Colleagues, Friends & Viewers

An e-mailer at 1am said it best: “ABC News is forever changed.” Here are a sampling of today’s e-mails from colleagues, viewers and fans:

> CNN’s Bob Franken: “Ours is a craft, whose practitioners are widely misunderstood, frequently vilified. Television journalism is widely imitated but Peter Jennings was the real thing…The adventurer and explainer many of us still try to be. His articulate polish came from his willingness to do the hard, tedious legwork that separates the true reporter. And that’s what he was, a true reporter, and a shining example. I didn’t know him well, but like everyone else who worked with him and tried to compete against him, I will miss him.”

> “I’m 22, and I want to thank Mr. Jennings for making me a fan of his and getting into this business.”

> From a former ABC intern: “I’m grateful I was able to watch him at work. Like so many aspiring journalists of my generation, he was a major inspiration. When I first saw the show live, he saw me in the hallway and said, smiling, ‘come back and see us again sometime.’ I’m so glad I did.”

> “It’s just amazing how attached we can become to the people who deliver our news. Growing up, I always used to watch ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings while my famiy ate dinner. I will never forget his voice…”

> Also: The BBC is soliciting memories from Web visitors in the U.S. and U.K.

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