From whence do you get your news? Excuse that awkward, archaic phrasing. But, had I posed that question in more common, conversational verbiage ending with the preposition “from,” my late, English-teacher mother would surely have haunted me. Either way, it is an important question for anyone who wants to understand our puzzling historical moment.
Not so long ago, that query would have been unnecessary. From 1962 to 1981, Walter Cronkite, who appeared nightly in many American homes as anchorman for the CBS Evening News, was widely recognized as “the most-trusted man in America.” We in the Banker household more regularly watched NBC’s “Huntley-Brinkley Report” — more out of convenience than contrariness. Knoxville’s NBC affiliate came in more clearly from our backyard antennae than its local CBS competitor.
Either way, national news coverage from the networks throughout my growing-up years reflected the broader consensus and self-reassuring optimism of the era. Ironically, Cronkite’s critical coverage from Vietnam in 1968 reflected early signs of the shattering of that consensus in both our broader society and national news coverage.
The change in how we Americans got the news is only a small part of the broader, still-mystifying story of our last half century. Of course, TV news lost its hegemony for reasons both inevitable and self-inflicted. The quality of network news has varied from network to network and over time. Some outstanding anchors have been popular, but none achieved the public credibility of their golden age predecessors. But changes in their audiences — particularly our diminished faith in once-trusted institutions — contributed to this change.
More systematically, technological and communications changes in our lifetimes echo such earlier developments as the advent of the original printing press and its wave of mass-production heirs. The emergence of radio, and television itself followed. Each of these explosions unleashed aftershocks that left no facet of human life unchanged. Not convinced? Recall your life before the home computer, the internet, cell phone and social media.
Relaxed federal regulations over the last four decades created fertile environments for these explosions that more by default than design fueled the rise of talk radio, 24/7 cable news, social media, and the like. All have undermined the conventional network news and contributed to our current polarization.
From where, you may be wondering, do I get my news? I am a lifelong news-junkie. My early mornings begin with reading several newspapers online with particular attention to their opinion sections. My daily reads come from a wide array of sources and persuasions. On mornings when time is limited, I intentionally prioritize conservative pieces. I realized long ago that I learn more from those who do not share my views.
Indeed, when it comes to the latest communications advances, I am hopelessly conservative. Navigating Facebook and other forms of social media challenge my limited technological skills. More philosophically, social media’s call for immediate responses to complex controversies violates my most heartfelt, history-informed convictions about human communications.
So, what about TV news? Although my smart phone makes it unnecessary, I still watch local stations several times a day for weather and sports. My preference for network national news currently leans toward NBC and Lester Holt, but that could change. And yes, I watch some 24/7 cable news (mostly CNN and MSNBC) for brief stretches every day. Retirement offered an opportunity to become more deeply entrenched in such, but I quickly learned that 24/7 news addiction is unhealthy mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
My most important news source is the PBS Newshour that appears nightly at 7 p.m. on “East TN PBS.” For me, it’s a perfect blend and upgrade over the old Cronkite-era programing and the best of 24/7 news. While the latter is driven by old free market “bottom line” demands to hyperbole, the Newshour’s funding — 35% federal dollars and the remainder generated from individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorship — assures more balance and less drama.
Most importantly, the Newshour best captures the commitment to civility and creative, constructive discourse about controversial issues that has been my most-repeated theme in this space. After a news summary, a typical broadcast will look deeply into several diverse issues. A Newshour staffer typically interviews persons directly affected by each issue and experts who view them from an array of perspectives.
I began watching the Newshour regularly back in the 1990s when it was the “McNeil-Lerner Report.” But I must confess that my devotion increased after 2010, when the Newshour took on one of my former students as a writer. Frank Carlson enrolled in my Advanced Placement United States History at Webb School in 1999-2000. Frank was refreshingly not grade conscious but displayed a depth of interest in the human experience that enriched my courses for his classmates and me.
Frank and I kept in contact after he left Webb to pursue an undergraduate degree in English and Spanish at the University of Richmond. He spent the next two years in China teaching American Literature and learning Mandarin. The following year he completed a Masters in journalism at Northwestern. After a brief stint with his hometown Metropulse, he began his current position as a Newshour writer in 2010.
As proud parents and longtime teachers in particular can appreciate, occasional messages from Frank and merely seeing his name flash by on the credits brings me great satisfaction. Last year when longtime, widely-respected anchor Judy Woodruff retired to emeritus status, she announced she would do a series exploring our nation’s current divisions and partisanship. She selected Frank as Senior Coordinating Producer for “America at a Crossroads.”
Sadly, Americans at our polar extremes are the least likely to watch the series or even the Newshour’s regular programing. That’s a topic for another column. Meanwhile, I enjoy even brief reflections with Frank about the history behind this current affliction.
Mark Banker is a retired teacher and active historian. He can be reached at mtbanker1961@gmail.com.
