Latest news with #WalterCronkite
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
I'll never forget what Walter Cronkite told me
One time, I was interviewing this old guy and he went on and on about how important good journalism is to democracy. You could tell he really believed it. That old guy's name was Walter Cronkite. I interviewed him in his office several years ago, and his words and passion for good journalism have never been more important or rung so true. And The Arizona Republic provides plenty of it. Whether it's local news and sports, expert looks at the dining scene, tough coverage of politics or informed opinions about what's going on in the Valley and the world, The Republic and offer all this in addition to, if I might twist your arm a bit, my media criticism and commentary and movie and TV reviews. And if there is one thing that's true about providing such thorough coverage of the place where we live and beyond, it's this — it ain't free. That's where you come in. A subscription to The Republic helps support our work, which I frequently argue is important. Our coverage of major stories, such as the Gilbert Goons and local favorites like high school sports, is unparalleled. I read it, and you should, too. Not to oversimplify things, but reading our coverage is how I know what's going on in the community I live in. And that's important. For my part, I write about how the media covers (or doesn't) the kind of attacks on democracy Cronkite warned against, alongside reviews of films (horror movies are a particular favorite) and TV shows (I love TV), and the occasional food essay. Recently, I wrote about criticism of the book 'Original Sin,' and how some people think it's something that shouldn't exist. I disagree. You can write about almost anything, and we do. If you don't like one story, move on — you'll likely enjoy the next one. Not only can we cover more than one thing, but we have to. It's what we do. And we do it well. We'd love for you to be a part of it. After all, you don't want to disappoint Walter Cronkite. Special offer: If you like our work, please consider becoming a subscriber. Save on a new subscription today. Reach Goodykoontz at Facebook: Media commentary with a side of snark? Sign up for The Watchlist newsletter with Bill Goodykoontz. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Republic columnist: My mission is to uncover the truth
DW
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- DW
Is podcast authenticity overrated—or essential?
The word "authenticity" gets tossed around with fervor as a way to connect with audiences and grow your show – "Be yourself!" or "Find your voice!" But what does authenticity actually mean? And does it really matter? For many podcasters and producers, authenticity is seen as a key ingredient in connecting with listeners. The authoritative, slightly formal, calm and measured style of classic news presenters like Walter Cronkite in the US or [insert name of famous TV or radio news reader of decades past here] are over – no longer to contemporary audiences' taste. When people hear a story that's unfiltered and sincere, the thinking goes, they're more likely to invest their time and stay loyal to the show. According to a 2023 article from Podium titled "Authenticity in Podcasting: Building Genuine Connections with Listeners," audiences are more likely to develop trust in a host who appears flawed, relatable and emotionally available – provided it feels sincere. The article noted that hosts who share not just content but context (why this story matters to them) tend to build stronger listener relationships. "Sharing behind-the-scenes content, discussing the podcasting journey, challenges faced, or personal anecdotes can humanize the podcast," the article read. "It reminds listeners that there's a real person with genuine emotions and experiences behind the microphone, fostering deeper empathy and connection." "Indeed, a sense of authenticity can be the secret sauce in making a podcast feel human," said Amanda McLoughlin, co-founder of Multitude Productions, a Brooklyn-based podcast collective. "But it's also one of the hardest things to fake – listeners can sniff it out a mile away." Listeners these days want to feel connected to hosts, and authenticity helps that happen Image: Zoonar II/IMAGO Faking it What insiders warn against is turning vulnerability to a marketing gimmick, the cringey phenomenon of "fake authenticity." This ranges from overproduced vulnerability, overly casual banter or confessional monologues that feel performative, not personal. And, consider if that kind of vibe is what your podcast even needs? If your show is about stock trends, baring your soul every week might not make sense. Podcast coach and strategist Eric Nuzum, co-founder of Magnificent Noise, former VP for programming at NPR, and author of The Audio Insurgent newsletter, put it this way: 'Authenticity isn't about telling your deepest secrets. It's about being consistent, showing up in your audience's feed with a voice that they recognize and trust." The line between authenticity and artificiality is a fine one. One person who did it well is child actor turned book author turned podcaster Jennette McCurdy. Her podcast Hard Feelings, which produced new episodes until Feb. 2024, intentionally leaned into emotional complexity. In an interview with Teen Vogue, McCurdy described the goal as "creating space where messiness isn't just tolerated but expected. It's about allowing for complexity, not just performance." So does that mean you don't need planning or any kind of script, just a microphone and raw emotion? Australian audio producer Chris Marsh has worked behind the scenes of the radio and podcasts of the comedy duo of Hamish & Andy for more than 15 years. He told the PodCircle that authenticity wasn't about chaos or lack of prep. "We do a lot of work behind the scenes – reading thousands of listener emails, planning meetings, testing ideas," he said. "The trick is creating space for spontaneity," he said. Being authentic doesn't mean improvisation. Marsh likes to plan spontaneity into shows Image: Blend Images/Strauss/Curtis/picture alliance One of the things that has kept Hamish & Andy popular since transitioning from radio to podcasting is their consistent commitment to their audience. Early in their career, they dubbed their show "The People's Show," a philosophy that Marsh says still drives their choices: "We make our listeners the stars of the show. We involve them, we meet them, we read their emails. That kind of connection keeps the show grounded." This echoes what many successful podcasters have discovered: authenticity isn't just about what happens behind the mic—it's about the entire listener relationship. So that means in addition to Nuzum's advice to hosts to "talk to one listener," hosts also need to make sure those listeners feel part of a community they've built. A fine line So how do podcasters find this elusive balance between "real" and "faked" authenticity? For McLoughlin, it depends on what works for the person behind the mic. "Some people need a script, others need an outline, and some need to riff. The question is, what gets you into that zone where you sound most like yourself?" Marsh offers this advice: "Don't try to bend yourself to fit a show. Make the show you actually want to make." Ultimately, authenticity in podcasting is not a one-size-fits-all concept. It's a mix of tone, consistency, vulnerability and trust. It's about putting in the work to sound effortless, about being generous with your listeners, and about allowing your show to evolve while remaining true to its mission. So is authenticity overrated? Not if it's real or if it's earned. And it can make the difference in whether someone decides to listen again.
Los Angeles Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The network evening news is in flux: Why an American TV institution is under pressure
For broadcast networks, the evening news broadcast is a cherished part of their legacies — having brought the likes of Walter Cronkite, Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings into living rooms over the decades. But with pressures mounting on the traditional TV business, the American institution is in a period of flux. The traditional TV audience is a slow melting glacier, with network evening newscasts down nearly 1 million viewers in the 2024-25 season compared to the previous year, according to Nielsen. As a result, network news executives will be on edge this year, with two of the three broadcasts undergoing major overhauls. Next month, NBC will replace longtime 'Nightly News' anchor Lester Holt with Tom Llamas, 45, who helms the streaming NBC News Now program 'Top Story.' It will mark only the fourth change in the 'Nightly' role since 1983. This comes after 'CBS Evening News' in January replaced Norah O'Donnell with a duo of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois. Conceived by outgoing '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens, the new 'CBS Evening News' has aimed to do longer segments instead of the headline-driven style the broadcasts are known for. Although broadcast networks have largely ceded scripted TV shows to streaming, they are still protective of the news programs. Both NBC and CBS are trying to improve their competitive position against 'ABC World News With David Muir,' which has its largest lead over the second-place peacock network in 30 years. Like other TV newscasts, evening programs are in a battle to maintain relevance amid competition from not only cable and streaming but also YouTube, which attracts older audiences as well as younger, digital-savvy viewers. 'No one wants a tombstone that reads 'Here lies the guy who killed the evening news,'' said Jonathan Wald, a veteran producer who worked with Brokaw on 'NBC Nightly News.' Evening newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC — all of which launched in the late 1940s — are among the few shows that still drive appointment viewing. They've held up better than most TV network genres. Nielsen data show the programs are watched by an average of 18 million viewers a night and reach 71 million each month despite competition from 24-hour cable news and a barrage of platforms available digitally. There are many weeks throughout the year when Muir's broadcast is the most watched program in all of TV, often averaging 8 million viewers. So far, the audience isn't buying the changes on 'CBS Evening News.' The program has dropped below 4 million viewers in some weeks since its launch and occasionally gets topped by 'Special Report With Bret Baier' on Fox News. NBC News executives believe Llamas can provide a fresh spark for 'Nightly News.' They're encouraged that he led in the 25-to-54 age group on recent nights when he filled in for Holt. 'We think he's exactly the right guy at this moment,' said Janelle Rodriguez, executive vice president of programming for NBC News. 'He is someone who has worked at this literally since he was a kid.' But there is always risk involved when an anchor change occurs — programs typically see a shift of 500,000 viewers in the aftermath. A single audience share point decline in the Nielsen ratings can mean about $10 million less in ad revenue. Evening news broadcasts are still profitable businesses and have benefited from increased advertiser demand for audiences watching live TV. In 2024, ad spending on the three network evening newscasts, including the weekend editions, hit $669 million, according to measurement firm an increase of 12% over the previous year. The programs also still provide an identity for ABC, CBS and NBC. A recent study by research firm Magid found that 50% of consumers cite news as their top reason for watching a network TV affiliate. Most of the people tuning in at 6:30 p.m. to watch are older viewers who likely grew up with the habit, as evidenced by the commercial breaks. The data from iSpot show around 46% of the ad dollars spent on the programs are for pharmaceutical products. Competitors have long taken shots at 'World News,' calling it a shallow broadcast that delivers a lot of of stories without much detail. ABC News executives counter that Muir has traveled around the world to do lengthier reports that are expanded into documentaries for Hulu. 'We spend a lot of time making sure the show is informative visually and reflects a modern, elegant broadcast,' said Chris Dinan, Muir's executive producer. 'David knows television. He's a student of it.' Viewers, who like Muir and the visual sizzle of 'World News,' have made it No. 1 for nine consecutive years. 'You can't listen to the chattering classes,' said Wald. 'The show is watchable and consistent. You know what you're going to get.' Muir's success has been rewarded. After sharing special coverage anchor duties with George Stephanopoulos, he is now the dominant face of ABC News. Muir's former longtime executive producer, Almin Karamehmedovic, became president of the division last year. For most of his tenure, Muir has maintained a neutral image that protected him from right-wing claims of bias made against many mainstream journalists. That changed last fall as Muir and colleague Linsey Davis became targets after they vigorously fact-checked President Trump at the second presidential debate in September. 'I'm not fans of those guys anymore,' Trump said during a Fox News appearance. 'And his hair was better five years ago.' Trump's anger at Muir has had no impact on the ratings for 'World News,' which have remained steady. Nielsen data show the program's audience is down only 1% in the 2024-25 TV season compared to a year ago, while 'NBC Nightly News' is off 6% and 'CBS Evening News' is down 8%. While Holt's departure from 'Nightly News' was presented as his decision, NBC News is historically unsentimental when it comes to making talent transitions, always looking for the next generation. Llamas, 45, has spent three years at the helm of 'Top Story' on NBC News Now, the network's 24-hour streaming news service that draws a younger audience than the broadcast network. Like Muir, Llamas has been immersed in TV news since he was a teenager. Muir worked in a local Syracuse TV newsroom where staffers tracked his growth spurt with pencil marks on a wall. A 15-year-old Llamas landed an internship at a Miami TV station with the help of Jorge Ramos, the longtime Univision anchor. (Ramos' children were patients of Llamas' father, who has a dental practice in Miami.) Llamas interned at 'NBC Nightly News' and went on to jobs at MSNBC and as a local anchor at NBC's Miami and New York stations. He moved to ABC News in 2014, where he was anchor of the weekend newscast and often filled in for Muir. He returned to NBC in 2021, leading to immediate speculation that he was being developed as Holt's heir apparent. 'He'll be a great steward for what 'Nightly' is now and maybe even extend its lifespan by injecting some youth,' said Wald. The question at CBS News — which has been distracted by a lawsuit filed by Trump against '60 Minutes' and the pending sale of parent company Paramount Global to Skydance Media — is whether it will make tweaks to its evening news format before viewers start sampling again after Holt departs. CBS News declined to provide an executive to speak on the record about the newscast. But two people close to the show said management continues to support the alternative approach to the broadcast and there are no imminent changes. People who work on 'CBS Evening News' but were not authorized to comment publicly said the program has already moved to shorter pieces. The producers are also expected to get some notes from Tom Cibrowski, the new CBS News president who comes from ABC News, where there is an emphasis on being viewer-friendly. But the challenges faced by CBS demonstrate how hard it is to make changes to evening news when continuity and familiarity matter to the audience. Muir was a longtime weekend anchor and then primary substitute for Diane Sawyer during her five-year run on 'World News.' Holt was a fill-in for Brian Williams before his abrupt departure in 2015. CBS has likely been hurt by changing evening news anchors six times since Dan Rather ended his 20-year run at the desk in 2005. The program has long suffered from a weak audience lead-in from its local stations, a problem that goes back to the mid-1990s, when a number of its affiliates switched to Fox after CBS lost its NFL package. But broadcast networks are aware that the downward trend in appointment viewing on traditional TV is never going to reverse. It's why the networks have expanded their evening news programs online. Llamas will continue to do 'Top Story' on NBC News Now after he takes over for Holt in June. Dickerson has done an additional half-hour, which includes a longer newsmaker interview and a brief commentary at the end, on 'CBS Evening News Plus,' which is shown on CBS News Streaming after the network broadcast. All of the evening newscasts stream full episodes on YouTube, each attracting several hundred thousand viewers a night, as well as getting repeat airings on the 24-hour streaming news channels. 'NBC Nightly News' clips reached 43 million on TikTok in the first quarter of 2025. 'As people move across different distribution points, we need to be ready for them,' Rodriguez said.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
It happend so fast
I was so young and naive when, just out of high school, I served in Vietnam. Discharged, I was living in New York City when disturbing images of the fall of Saigon dominated my TV screen. There was no 24-hour cable news at the time, so America had to depend on other media outlets, such as newspapers' first-person stories. Images were shown nightly on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite (the most trusted man in America). My reaction was anger. I was sickened, although not surprised at what was unfolding in-country. The chaos surrounding the withdrawal broke my heart. As best I can recall, while sitting alone in my parents' basement, I wondered: What do you say to the American families who lost loved ones in that war? An estimated 58,000 American deaths. Have all those lost lives and injuries come to naught? Even now, thinking back, did anything about that time I spent there make sense? Maybe that we served with honor and bravery. We answered the call, while so many of our peers at home didn't. The fall came quickly as it so often does in situations such as this. And the irony that has followed me half a century since: How could anyone who spent any amount of time there have predicted that a new generation in Vietnam would be welcomed as friendly trading partners and the country now a popular tourist destination? I get it: Time can change everything. Attitudes. Alliances, certainly. Time can heal physical wounds. But among my brother vets, the psychic wounds of that war are scars that run deep under the skin and will never heal. When I watched the botched withdrawal of our troops from Kabul airport, I was eerily reminded of how history often repeats itself. And not always for the better. These days, I spend less time thinking about Vietnam and more — as a reporter for this newspaper — about what I can do every day to honor those who fought in 'Nam, Kuwait, Afghanistan-Iraq. We can do better for them in terms of services and support, and we must. I am grateful that with time, the public's view of the military during the Vietnam War has changed as well, although it took decades to do so. These days, in my quietest moments, I am trying to make sense of it all. What I did. Where I was. In retrospect, nothing makes sense. And probably never will. Let me set the record straight: I was never a combat medic. I did a lot of my time in safely guarded medical units. I am no hero, and have never pretended to be. But I was surrounded by heroes. The strength and resolve of those I met know no boundaries. Those memories sustain me in my worst moments. I suppose the only 'good' thing to come out of the fall of Saigon was that it marked the presumptive end of our involvement. Rick Dandes is a reporter for The Daily Item.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Deseret News archives: Walter Cronkite told it like it was until this day in 1981
A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives. On March 6, 1981, Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time after nearly two decades as the anchor of the 'CBS Evening News.' With his signature phrase: 'And that's the way it is.' The front page story on the Deseret News said it all: 'After tonight, Walter, that's the way it was.' The man once called 'the most trusted man in America' later did a celebrity conductor gig with The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. 'Cronkite, the premier TV anchorman of the networks' golden age who reported a tumultuous time with reassuring authority and came to be called 'the most trusted man in America,' died Friday. He was 92,' read his Associated Press obituary in 2009. 'Cronkite was the face of the 'CBS Evening News' from 1962 to 1981, when stories ranged from the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to racial and anti-war riots, Watergate and the Iranian hostage crisis. 'It was Cronkite who read the bulletins coming from Dallas when Kennedy was shot Nov. 22, 1963, interrupting a live CBS-TV broadcast of the soap opera 'As the World Turns.'' In 2002, Cronkite came to Salt Lake City to serve as narrator for the annual Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. Like other guest performers, he visited with the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — President Gordon B. Hinckley and his counselors, President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust. 'In that room, there was the collected wisdom of the ages — 335 years in all that day.' Here are some stories from Deseret News archives about Cronkite, his journalism style, his visits to Utah and the state of news reporting today: 'Legendary CBS anchor Walter Cronkite dies at 92″ 'Cronkite's eloquent style a thing of the past' 'Walter Cronkite's time in Utah remarkable' 'Scott D. Pierce: Cronkite was a legend' 'Cronkite still regrets giving up career in '81″ 'Cronkite criticizes media for emphasis on profit' ''It was a day like all days'' 'Cronkite's passing: A death in everyone's family' 'Cronkite remembers days when he was a Pup' 'Journalism a far cry from what it used to be'
