Monday, September 18, 2006

Remembering 9/11: Our Anchors

In a world where broadcast journalism is criticized multiple times daily, 9/11 is a day that everyone points to as one of the finest moments in the medium's history. Central to this belief was the coverage found on the broadcast networks anchored by Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, and Dan Rather. Five years later, one way or another, we were reminded of their exceptional coverage. If it was NBC's ability to turn to Brokaw or ABC's inability to bring back Jennings we missed having them in the anchor chair. I have commented on the blogs of these news organizations to reflect personally on these two men and their importance to this field in regards to 9/11. On anniversaries like 9/11/06, it reminds us of how good these three were and how lucky we were to have them for as long as we did. Their presence is irreplaceable. The new generation of Couric, Gibson, and Williams are off to a great start but achieving the status once had by their predecessors will be a challenge that defines their careers, something Brokaw, Jennings, and Rather faced themselves in the post Walter Cronkite era. It is hard to say but most likely those of us who are the future of this business, will have trouble taking the reign over our predecessors as well. For now, the fact remains that we are committed and will cross that bridge when we get there. 9/11/01 was not the day I decided to begin "training" to become a broadcast journalist but it like no other day reinforced why I decided to become one.

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