Memo to ABC: Retire Diane Sawyer.....Please!

[TheBigA]

I wouldn't mind news readers like Diane and the local Kens and Barbies if we followed the British system. People on newscasts are called "presenters." No claim or pretense is made of journalistic credentials.

That would be fine, but this isn't Britain. In the American system, the anchors write what they say. They also usually have the title of Managing Editor. And thirdly, the anchors are often utilized as field reporters. Those things by definition make her a journalist, regardless of what you think. So there's no need of making "pretense of journalistic credentials." They exist and are used every day. She may not have been a journalist when she was in Kentucky, but that was over 40 years ago. Even Edward R. Murrow wasn't born a journalist, he had to start somewhere, and even he had to do celebrity reporting. It didn't diminish his credibility. Why should it anyone else?

 

[MattParker]

I wouldn't mind news readers like Diane and the local Kens and Barbies if we followed the British system. People on newscasts are called "presenters." No claim or pretense is made of journalistic credentials.

That would be fine, but this isn't Britain. In the American system, the anchors write what they say. They also usually have the title of Managing Editor. And thirdly, the anchors are often utilized as field reporters. Those things by definition make her a journalist, regardless of what you think. So there's no need of making "pretense of journalistic credentials." They exist and are used every day. She may not have been a journalist when she was in Kentucky, but that was over 40 years ago. Even Edward R. Murrow wasn't born a journalist, he had to start somewhere, and even he had to do celebrity reporting. It didn't diminish his credibility. Why should it anyone else?

As in most things, the American system is flawed. No, they don't write what they say. What do you think all those writers do? The term "managing editor" is a sop to a news reader's ego. Walter Cronkite insisted on it because he did not like or trust Don Hewitt and wanted some basis to thwart any of Hewitt's ideas he didn't like. Now all the news readers insist on the title. Even Cronkite didn't spend the day involved in preparation for the broadcast. According Gary Paul Gates, he'd show up around 4:30 and disrupt what had already been done. And, by the way, Cronkite was a UniPresser. News readers showing up a big events is stunting - no more, no less. All the prep, all the leg work is done by others, by actual field reporters. In real journalism, real managing editors don't go out and report. Don't buy all promotional hype the networks put out. TV news is show biz, the most pretentious branch of show biz.

Murrow did celebrity reporting at the end of his career. Murrow was a speech major and extemporaneous speaking is what he did and did well. He was hired at CBS to get guests for public affairs programs (what we would no call a "booker"). He was in Britain when World War II broke out and circumstances forced him on the air to describe what he saw. He could write well and speak well. He had the tools of journalism. Unlike the current bunch of TelePrompTer readers who do neither well. And yes, Murrow did take a good deal of criticism for "Person to Person" - both inside and outside the CBS News Division. See It Now aired for two seasons (Tuesday at 10:30). It had a small audience and was dropped from prime time. Contrary to what George Clooney would have you believe, most people were watching "Stop the Music." As a fan of beauty pageant contestants, you probably are familiar with the host of that show: Bert Parks. Too bad there aren't many game shows on now; something for which Diane would be better qualified. She could even take over Bess Myerson's (Miss America 1945) spot on I've Got A Secret.

I once interviewed Lee Merriweather (Miss America 1955) and co-host of the Today Show (1956-1957). She said she found that kind of work boring and uninteresting and got herself an acting job. Maybe Diane has a higher threshold for boredom and disinterest - or just lacks the talent and initiative of Lee Merriweather. Besides, even in her 70s, Lee Merriweather was hot and sexy, unlike the 10 years younger Diane who comes off as your least-favorite and dullest elementary school teacher.

 

[TheBigA]

As Tommy Lee Jones said to Harrison Ford in The Fugitive, "I don't care."

By definition, she's as much a journalist as anyone else in the profession. You can fault many things for that. I blame the profession itself for not instituting standards by which one can be judged. Until that happens, anyone can call themselves a journalist if they want. But in Sawyer's case, she has far better qualifications than most, and that's why she's anchoring ABC News.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

As in most things, the American system is flawed. No, they don't write what they say. What do you think all those writers do?

// snip //

unlike the 10 years younger Diane who comes off as your least-favorite and dullest elementary school teacher.

That must be one big, ugly cockleburr you have under your saddleblanket!

If writers, co-writers, underling writers are in and out of the bosses office during the day... if a writer understands his/her job to be to learn the bosses style and wants, and the boss is good at conveying what and how they want to say it, what is your point. The person sitting in the cat-bird seat when the on-air light fires up "wrote what they are reading" if their leadership style is appropriate for the task.

I have no idea whether Diane is that kind of leader, but if she is, that would be more important than avoiding having some characteristics that might be shared by your most un-liked elementary school teacher.

Your conversation reminds me of a little dog I used to have who could fake anger and disgust while fighting over a slipper just for the fun of it.

 

[searadiofreak]

Diane Sawyer registers few negatives from this media watcher. She comes across as pleasant, friendly, and attractive. Not sure where all this negativity is coming from, but for this viewer, she does a very professsional, accurate job. Just my opinion, but compared to many who are out there on network tv and cable, Diane is in the top10 percentile overall.

 

[Ultimajock]

I've got a computer program that can take a text document and read it aloud. A few improvements and it can replace Diane, Katie and (NAB lobbyist) Brian.

...curiously enough, just that possibility was joked about by ages-ago NBC anchors Richard Harkness (radio), Chet Huntley (TV) and David Brinkley (TV) on NBC's election night coverage of 1960, when Jack Kennedy beat out Diane's future boss...

 

[imhomerjay]

Not sure where all this negativity is coming from

Misogyny, clinging to some romanticized version of the past, jealousy...take your pick.

 

[Ultimajock]

What I see here is a conversation that seems to be dominated by men who don't like a feminine anchor.

...one of which is certainly not me. When John Chancellor stepped down from co-anchoring NBC Nightly News with Roger Mudd in 1982, I'd have much rather seen Linda Ellerbee replace him than Tom Brokaw...

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

When John Chancellor stepped down from co-anchoring NBC Nightly News with Roger Mudd in 1982, I'd have much rather seen Linda Ellerbee replace him than Tom Brokaw...

And same here. I was a big fan of Linda Ellerbee going back to "NBC News Overnight", the spiritual predecessor to the early days (Aaron Brown, Lisa McRee, Kevin Newman, Thalia Assuras) of ABC's "World News Now".

Thalia would have been a good replacement, too, for any of the main network anchors. She actually did CBS' weekend "Evening News" for a number of years.

Threads in common here: David Muir came to ABC as WNN co-anchor. Kevin and Thalia are both Canadians (as was Peter Jennings).

I'm not a regular watcher of Diane Sawyer, but have no problem with her doing WNT...much better move than CBS putting Katie in the big chair.

Er..."World News", since they dropped the "Tonight" part.

 

[12 In a Row]

Let's see, she was a beauty queen, worked with a President, traveled the world many times over, part of the 60 Minutes crew, co-hosted GMA and is making millions and holding her own on World News. Hmmmmm, what a loser. ;D

 

[DToTheJ]

I can no longer tolerate Diane Sawyer with her personal comments after each story airs.

Does this make her a "news analyst," kinda like how Michael Irvin says on NFL Network, "I am an analyst, and my job is to analyze football and make comments"? ???

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I do not buy the argument that ABC could not have found someone else to anchor the evening news. I've always maintained that Lester Holt, who anchors NBC's weekend news, would be an excellent weekday anchor. I have even suggested that CBS should try to lure him away and replace Couric when her contract expires.

David Muir might be young looking, but I still believe he does a better job than Sawyer. Besides Sawyer is what now...65 years old? How many more years has she got before she up and retires? By hiring Muir, ABC would have an anchor in place for at least 20 years. Someone at the network just wasn't thinking about the future.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Let's see, she was a beauty queen, worked with a President, traveled the world many times over, part of the 60 Minutes crew, co-hosted GMA and is making millions and holding her own on World News. Hmmmmm, what a loser. ;D

That sums it up pretty well.

While the arm-chair quarterbacks sit here and second-guess what ABC ought to do, that resume you put together looks pretty good. You should share that format with Diane Sawyer. Think what she could do with her career if she just realized how good she really is. :

 

[imhomerjay]

Really, what was ABC thinking, not consulting the obvious wisdom of a half dozen or so messag board experts?

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Keep in mind... as we all kick this around, the evening anchor slot is rapidly becoming an anachronism.

 

[Markxxx]

Diane Sawyer registers few negatives from this media watcher. She comes across as pleasant, friendly, and attractive. Not sure where all this negativity is coming from...

To me she just comes across as insincere, smug and self-righteous. Now she may or may not be any of those things. But that is how she comes across on camera.

She IS friendly, pleasant and attractive and does a good job reading the news, but she is also all those other things I mentioned. Or at least comes across as having those attributes.

Again, as I said, she may not be any of those negative things, but she comes across as having them.

I think of the the problems with finding a sutiable network anchor is they tend to come up through the ranks. The systems seems to be go to school, start at small station, work in bigger and bigger markets then jump to network. Then work your way up there.

There are a lot of local people that simply blow away the current lead network anchors, but they won't ever get a chance to get on air at a newtwork, 'cause that isn't the career path.

And a lot of business are like that, they only hire from within a closed system for the top spots

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

To me she just comes across as insincere, smug and self-righteous. Now she may or may not be any of those things. But that is how she comes across on camera.

She IS friendly, pleasant and attractive and does a good job reading the news, but she is also all those other things I mentioned. Or at least comes across as having those attributes.

Say what? This description tells us more about your "personal filters" system than it does about Diane.

There can never be one PERFECT anchor, one perfect host for the Tonight show, or one PERFECT sports commentator because 300 million Americans all have their imperfect filter system that strains, obfuscates what is being transmitted. What we can all hope that of the dozens and dozens of video channels that now climb through the walls of our houses via the cable or satellite, that at any given time, at least ONE of those channels would match up with our own personal, flawed and warped filters during the hour or two each day we would like to receive information or entertainment via video.

For some of us, Diane Sawyer is the least of the dozens and dozens of evils so we arrange out schedule so we can get her summary of today. For others, she will be avoided at all cost.

When this conversation is over and ABC gets MEMOS from the 150 to 180 million readers of Radio-Info, my money says Diane will still be delivering the news on ABC until she and the network decide it is a really great time to retire. But until all those memos do come in, I am sure the news will suffer somewhat as Diane spends a bit part of her day biting her nails as she waits for the R-I survey results to hit management desks.

 

[TheBigA]

There are a lot of local people that simply blow away the current lead network anchors, but they won't ever get a chance to get on air at a newtwork, 'cause that isn't the career path.

Well it depends...Katie Couric was working at a local station in Washington DC and that helped her get noticed. A lot of local anchors are very happy where they are, making good money, and living a good life. Moving to New York to become a network anchor isn't the attraction it might have once been. Plus there are a lot more opportunities doing the same thing at the cable news channels. I think it's actually a very open system right now, where people have lots of places to audition, if being a network anchor is what you want to do. But I agree that the future of the network anchor for a nightly news show may be limited.

 

[BRNout]

Really, what was ABC thinking, not consulting the obvious wisdom of a half dozen or so messag board experts?

Or that of one particularly smug poster named after a cartoon character who thinks he knows all.

 

[imhomerjay]

You meanthe one who's self aware enough to know there are smarter people than he assigned to make such decisions based on far more data and research than that employed at the Shady Oaks lunchroom?