Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock
Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2004. The presidential debate particulars have been announced. Jim Lehrer of PBS, Charles Gibson of ABC and Bob Schieffer of CBS will be the moderators — and PBS’s Gwen Ifill will host the vice presidential debates. Lehrer is the top news guy in public TV, with Ifill second. But Gibson and Schieffer are way down the lines of succession from the Brokaw/Jennings/Rather triumvirate. Yes they’re the folks that the Bush and Kerry negotiators agreed upon. Gibson’s a good interviewer, and Schieffer has been everywhere. I just wonder how these guys got the nod and not others.
Where are the noted historians, political scientists or debate experts who often in years past run these shows? And where are the print journalists? There have been prexy debates with a TV journalist emcee and a panel of print correspondents doing the questioning. While perhaps you need a broadcast veteran to control from the stage the candidates and anything that can happen, where are the grunt reporters, even the old-timers? I fear this clearly demonstrates the state of newspapers. -30-
