In 1945 a radio program entitled American Mercury Presents: Meet the Press aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System. In 1947 Martha Rountree developed a TV version, shortened to Meet the Press, that went to the NBC television network and she was the first host. The show is still going strong and currently is on its twelfth host, the eleventh male.
What novel ideas it embraced, not the least of which was having a female host. The idea was to invite a single guest who was questioned by a group of “experts,” a sort of press conference. The first guest was James Farley who played major roles in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration.
I can’t recall when I first discovered it, but I imagine it must have been the late forties or early fifties. I loved it. Especially seeing some bigwig put on the spot and trying to talk his way out of it
.
Sunday morning is its legacy. Besides Meet the Press, we have Face the Nation, This Week, Fox News Sunday, and State of the Union plus any number of lesser efforts. One can devote the entire morning and early afternoon to these shows.
And what will you get?
A big waste of time.
If you watch any of them, do you feel you are being educated? I don’t.
I see some shows having no allegiance to journalistic integrity as they push a political agenda with lies, misdirections, and bombastic outbursts.
I see hosts who cannot control their guests, allowing them to commandeer the conversation for their own ends.
I see moderators “leading” a round table of individuals who interrupt, shout, and don’t listen.
I see administration officials being invited to any show they want and fanning out over the shows to push the party line on issues or defend their boss.
I see opposition leaders doing the same thing.
I see guests who have learned the art of manipulating the media, treating a question they don’t like with an answer having nothing to do with it.
I don’t see much that I couldn’t predict knowing who the guest is and what the topic is.
I don’t see anyone responding to another’s point with, “You know, that’s an interesting thought. I think we could work together on that.”
I don’t see anyone putting our country first over a petty political agenda, even though they say that is exactly what they are doing.
I don’t see anyone choosing the old-fashioned idea of being willing to risk a political career to do what is right.
I don’t see kindness and caring and understanding.
I don’t see listening.
As with everything, nothing is black and white. Some leading the Sunday entertainment are competent, talented, and dedicated journalists. Some guests really do care. But the John McCains are too few.
These shows still air occasionally in my home, but I rarely watch. Because I finally recognized I was learning nothing from them. Because I feel there is little hope of anyone saying something unpredictable, or of opposing views merging to even the slightest degree.
I have better ways to spend Sunday morning.
What novel ideas it embraced, not the least of which was having a female host. The idea was to invite a single guest who was questioned by a group of “experts,” a sort of press conference. The first guest was James Farley who played major roles in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration.
I can’t recall when I first discovered it, but I imagine it must have been the late forties or early fifties. I loved it. Especially seeing some bigwig put on the spot and trying to talk his way out of it
.
Sunday morning is its legacy. Besides Meet the Press, we have Face the Nation, This Week, Fox News Sunday, and State of the Union plus any number of lesser efforts. One can devote the entire morning and early afternoon to these shows.
And what will you get?
A big waste of time.
If you watch any of them, do you feel you are being educated? I don’t.
I see some shows having no allegiance to journalistic integrity as they push a political agenda with lies, misdirections, and bombastic outbursts.
I see hosts who cannot control their guests, allowing them to commandeer the conversation for their own ends.
I see moderators “leading” a round table of individuals who interrupt, shout, and don’t listen.
I see administration officials being invited to any show they want and fanning out over the shows to push the party line on issues or defend their boss.
I see opposition leaders doing the same thing.
I see guests who have learned the art of manipulating the media, treating a question they don’t like with an answer having nothing to do with it.
I don’t see much that I couldn’t predict knowing who the guest is and what the topic is.
I don’t see anyone responding to another’s point with, “You know, that’s an interesting thought. I think we could work together on that.”
I don’t see anyone putting our country first over a petty political agenda, even though they say that is exactly what they are doing.
I don’t see anyone choosing the old-fashioned idea of being willing to risk a political career to do what is right.
I don’t see kindness and caring and understanding.
I don’t see listening.
As with everything, nothing is black and white. Some leading the Sunday entertainment are competent, talented, and dedicated journalists. Some guests really do care. But the John McCains are too few.
These shows still air occasionally in my home, but I rarely watch. Because I finally recognized I was learning nothing from them. Because I feel there is little hope of anyone saying something unpredictable, or of opposing views merging to even the slightest degree.
I have better ways to spend Sunday morning.
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