The news media lessons of Walter Cronkite, Michael Jackson and Ronald Reagan
By Mitch Perry
PoHo correspondent
Mitch Perry is the anchor of the WMNF Evening News on 88.5 FM community radio.
Legendary television anchorman Walter Cronkite’s death on Friday at the age of 92 has prompted massive encomiums on his career and how no one figure could ever dominate mass communications like “Uncle Walter” did in the ’60s and ’70s. It also allows us to ponder the state of national television news.
In the immediate days (and weeks) after Michael Jackson’s death last month, America’s broadcast and cable news networks went — predictably — hog wild over the pop superstar’s death. They saw their ratings rise, while also receiving criticism from a lot of quarters that they were overdoing it.
But were you really surprised?
Pardon the expression, but haven’t we seen this movie, err, blanket news coverage before?
Can you say Anna Nicole Smith? Ronald Reagan? Princess Diana anybody? Read the rest of this entry »
