Network News Loses Its Father Figures

Network news has lost its father figures, the Associated Press summarizes.

“Jennings was the unflappable dad, the debonair one whose suit closet you dreamt of invading.” Tom Brokaw “always dispensed plainspoken advice,” and “he’d finish the day with a beer, not a martini.” Dan Rather “was a little too tightly wound, and you’d have to watch his temper. But you could count on him. Always, you could count on him.”

So who are the next figures of “parental authority?” “Katie Couric seems the most ideally suited, but it’s not clear how long news will be her focus. Fox’s Shepard Smith is more like the wise-guy older brother. Charles Gibson needs to feel like more than a substitute teacher. Brian Williams has tried assiduously to become the new Brokaw.”

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