It would be easy to call Larry King's last live show on CNN the end of an era of the kinder, gentler national talk show host who maintained some degree of objectivity. Sadly, that era had already passed and CNN's declining ratings have reflected that. Over the past 25 years, Larry's guest list has seen the most impressive variety of celebrities and newsmakers ever assembled on one program. He got these people because he let them talk. While he didn't necessarily ask all the hard questions, he posed enough of them over the years without making guests overly defensive or uncomfortable. It wasn't all about him. Larry has been true to that premise since his late night radio days when I used to hear him on the old Mutual Broadcasting System. He was a welcoming voice to everyone who had an opinion, not just to those who agreed with him. As the level of discourse gets more heated, personal and polarized, I hope CNN can find its way back to being a news leader without trying to follow in the footsteps of Fox and MSNBC. While Larry's style may have seemed outdated to many viewers these days, there is still room for hosts who can get real answers from guests. Anderson Cooper's "Keeping Them Honest" segments are good examples of hard-hitting journalism without a predetermined political agenda. Styles change. Civility and objectivity are more important than ever. Larry has consistently tried to give you what you need to decide for yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment