I was never much of an evening news watcher, but when I did turn to one of the major networks for news coverage, it was always to
Peter Jennings. There were some great tributes to the late anchor last night on ABC and also CNN, and Jennings' interest in world news and international reporting was justly lauded. But let me say something here about the unique tone and presence Jennings brought to the news, a reporting style I can't see duplicated in today's media. Jenning always brought a cool and respectful point of view to his coverage. He resisted the sentimental as well as the often shameless impulse to intrude on the viewer's emotional space, to phonily bond over moments of crisis. He was a touch dispassionate, a bit sophisticated, and perhaps his Canadian birth allowed him a slight critical distance from the American news he covered. All of those "cool" qualities, in Jennings's hands, strangely created a kind of empathy and trust with the viewer. He will be missed.
Comments (2)
He wore well: as the late critic Jan Dawson said of the actor Bruno Ganz in a different context, the coolly Canadian Jennings was "a perfect raincoat man."
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posted by Ray Pride @ 8/08/2005 11:49 PM
I've known a lot of newspeople just like him in my wide-ranging, mostly mainstream journ. career and I can say that most of the Jennings type don't seek the spotlight. They are the news eds and desk execs and others behind the scenes. He was one of them more than any 'star' on-camera type. That's the difference you are seeing, I think.
Philippa
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posted by @ 8/17/2005 9:07 PM
