By Elizabeth Jensen The news came out of the blue, just before Labor Day weekend, as though ABC News had something to hide: Charlie Gibson, 66, plans to step down at the end of the year as anchor of “World…
By Elizabeth Jensen When Robert D. Novak died Aug. 18 at the age of 78 from a malignant brain tumor, his rueful prediction came true: The journalistic uproar he unleashed late in his career by disclosing the identity of CIA…
Wolf Blitzer anchors CNN’s afternoon “The Situation Room” and is CNN’s lead political anchor. During last year’s political campaign he also moderated numerous debates and anchored the Sunday newsmaker show (John King has since taken over). Blitzer’s regular presence on…
By Elizabeth Jensen It’s been close to three decades since Walter Cronkite had a regular presence in the homes of the nation, long enough that an entire generation never knew him except in history class clips. So at a time…
By Debra Kaufman To the viewers at home, and the pundits at their PCs, the TV reports looked like a civil war brewing: At town hall meetings across the country, angry groups of citizens seemed to confront their elected officials…
Don Hewitt wasn’t all that comfortable behind the scenes, and he was such an entertaining character that it would have been a pity if he’d stayed there all the time. He came charging out many years ago when promoting his…
By Daisy Whitney There are few professions more challenged than journalism is right now. And as journalists struggle to survive, evolve and, hopefully, someday, even prosper, they are becoming more dependent on technology than ever before. For those who work…
By Daisy Whitney Call it hyperlocal, microlocal or locals-only, it’s becoming the new brass ring in journalism. Hyperlocal, an idea that consumers crave nuanced details about their local communities, fueled by the belief that small businesses are eager to spend…
By Daisy Whitney There’s a digital divide among journalists today — on one side, those with digital skills, and on the other, those without. Guess which ones will get the precious few jobs that come along in the near future….
By Daisy Whitney With political advertising an every-other-year proposition, auto marketing evaporating and traditional television audiences shrinking, local broadcasters can’t help but be on the hunt for new revenue streams. While some are shifting their programming mix to win new…