According to Chicago Sun-Times television critic Doug Elfman, “since cable news is obsessed with politicians, the Big Three broadcasts are the last evening frontier where TV reporters interview regular people for stories about what it’s like to live in America.” His thoughts on the “Big Three” anchors:
• Charles Gibson is “the news, old-school style: no fuss, no muss. (His) is the sober, succinct newscast. It’s basically just the facts.”
• Katie Couric “has abandoned her failed experiment of fluff and now presents a statelier newscast…(she) now flexes traditional news judgment in a conventional show.”
• Brian Williams “writes descriptively and exercises the most solid news judgment. For graceful narratives that give stories clear meaning in context, he’s the winner.”