Journalistic celebrities are “carefully crafted brands intended to forge an emotional bond,” Joanne Ostrow writes in the Denver Post.
Some examples: “The dashing, silver-haired charmer dubbed the ‘anti-anchor’ by CNN brass;” “the conservative provocateur who offers blunt opinions on his No. 1-rated show;” “the older, former business-beat newsman, now a champion of blue-collar workers’ rights.”
Also: “Mustachioed John Stossel, pushing education reform on ABC, Ann Curry reporting on Darfur for NBC’s Today, Keith Olbermann railing against George W. Bush on MSNBC, and NBC’s Dateline series To Catch a Predator are other solid brands.”
“Branding is the industry’s latest attempt to stem the tide of declining news viewership,” Ostrow says…
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