I have a thing for Peter Jennings. Don’t get me wrong, I know the problems and the studies and I don’t intend to argue them here. I don’t intend to care.
It’s odd the connections a person makes to public figures, but one of the connections I made in my own life was to Peter Jennings. Like him, I’m a high school dropout. I never even completed the ninth grade. My mother and grandmother were both quick to remind me, at a certain point in time, that not finishing high school didn’t mean as much as I thought. Life could and would get better, should I choose to accept the rules of the game just a little. They both used Jennings as an example and used him often. I imagine it was as much for their benefit as it was mine.
Dropouts are not as large a demographic as some, but it was always nice to be so well represented. Regardless of your circumstances, it’s heartening to see people with a similar background do well.
When Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff took Jennings’ chair, some months after his death, I was pleased with ABC’s choice. Not because either anchor was perfect, but because they were both reporters rather than entertainers. Indeed, I enjoyed the early newscasts and was hopeful that the evening broadcast, with one anchor stationed in New York and another reporting from a world or national hotspot, would develop into something very special.
Bombs and well laid plans don’t mix. Mr. Woodruff’s condition after suffering severe injury via roadside bomb in Iraq, is unknown. We know he’s alive and that ABC expects he’ll return to work some day. A better prognosis than thousands, to be sure.
The point of all this? Nothing much. Just an unqualified media critique. A few hours ago ABC named Charlie Gibson as the host of World News Tonight. The man who once quivered over failed reality show contestants will now be at the fore of a news organization that millions of Americans look to for serious reporting on the very most serious matters of the day. Katie Couric will be there as well, though on another network. Quite a party. Perhaps they can mend the fences of network competition and hold a joint Rose Ceremony the next time an inept government decides to initiate a disastrous war based on lies, hysteria and fear. The best Rose Ceremony ever! Is this where network news finally lies down and dies? Hell if I know. I’m a dropout.
[Update] Edited for spelling errors in post and title. There are likely a few I missed, but I think we’ll all get through this together if we try. All things considered, it could have been much worse.
Good morning fellow slacker :o)
I bailed in the middle of 10th grade. My Pop told me though, that if I quit, I wouldn’t be allowed to just hang out and do nothing. At 15 he put me right to work, and taught me his trade. Yacht painting. Which was the beginning of my trip to where I am today. A custom painter. Bikes, raceboats and cars, and so on. The only thing I ever regretted about bailing out of school was missing my senior prom. Weird. It’s still true that you can make it in this country, more or less, with your two hands, and lots of hard work and determination. In fact, I feel as if I’ve learned far more in my life, reading more, being involved in more diverse activities, and so on, than I ever did in school. Though it’s true that certain doors would never be open to a high school dropout, it’s never held me back in any way whatsoever. Still, I would never want any of my kids to do the same ;o) My first child will be starting college at the end of the year. Yay!
As for the state of the evening news? It’s all peopaganda to me. It’s more like modern sports than anything else. With each team trying to woo the best, or worst, depending on your perspective, free agents to their team. First the money talks, then the bullshit rules the airwaves. Wasn’t there something i learned in school about the airwaves belong to the American public? Yeah…riiiight.
It shows–finally is spelled with 2 l’s.
suffered head injuries and Woodruff also suffered wounds to his upper body.
link to file re: traumatic brain injury re: soldiers in Iraq.
The Brain Injury Association was formerly the National Head Injury Foundation. Both terms are STILL used interchangeably, although the latter is technically incorrect.
I’m just a traumtic brain injury survivor who wasted 6 years of her life attending college AND graduate school (the latter on a fellowship). Why is it that men with similar injuries/disabilities as mine are accorded hero status? And why is it that high school dropouts are also revered?
And who has repeatedly searched the net to discover more information re: Part D and God-only-knows-what-else?
Oh, silly me, I forgot my place, I’m a woman!
That must be it.
Pointing out spelling errors or typos is just mean.
That’s ok. I need to learn.
Yeah, but usually you say something like ‘heh, I’m sure that was an unintentional misspelling’ followed by a smiley face. As long as the insult is followed by a smiley face all is well. 🙂
I spelled aspic wrong as well. Oy. For the want of an editor another post dies. I see your point, but being a rather rude person myself I can’t complain. Were it not for my spell checker, every other word in everything I write would be misspelled.
I wasn’t attempting to accord anybody hero status with this post or put down anybody other than Gibson down. I certainly wasn’t trying to glorify dropouts, only to explain my own peculiar fondness for a dead network news anchor. Seeing Gibson take his place burns me a little. I’ll admit that this post was a throwaway, but I didn’t write it to offend, or to take focus off of more important issues. I’m happy to get criticism. If you could tell me more explicitly why this post made you so angry, I’ll try to learn from it. Right now, I’m afraid I may be misunderstanding you.
Apparently it’s not your post that gave rise to that comment, but some peripheral issues. Your point is well made, a capable news person should be doing this job, not a glorified master of ceremonies.
Anyone talking about it? Nope. Funny, that.
This is not a defense of Couric, but an observation on how guys like Gibson are judged…or not.
And like I said before, this guy has the “gravitas” of Crusty the Clown. I won’t be watching.
Katie and Charlie make me want to drop out — but not tune in.
Regarding education. I always feel a bit hypocritical harping on my daughter to go back and finish her community college degree. “It will help you get ahead.” (She’s got a decent job with benefits and the possibility of advancement.)
I, on the other hand, have an MFA in acting. In my fifties, I am still stringing together part-time jobs to support “my art.” My daughter has had both the tact and common sense not to point out that she is making more than I am. ; )
My oldest son didn’t go to college and he’s working as a bartender making over 50K a year. His younger sister will graduate from college next year with a degree in either theater or anthropology.
Just thought I’d mention that and hope you hear the irony in my “voice”. 🙂
I heard that C. Gibson got the job and I just chose to ignore it and put in the back of my mind. I don’t watch the network evening news anyway, and I have watched ABC’s version in 10 years. But, it is immensely pathetic that a total partisan hack could get the job of anchor at the network. The Foxification of American society continues. Paula Zaun for President!!
Right. And what about Elizabeth Vargas? I thought she was doing just fine.