Patrick Skarr, Senior Account Supervisor
There will be just 58 days before the midterm elections this Sunday, and just in time “Meet the Press” will have its new anchor, Chuck Todd, in the moderator chair. Let’s hope that Todd’s preview in this Politico story is accurate and that the show will return to its roots of having lengthy interviews, with individuals of consequence that have something important to say.
Because, when “Meet the Press” is firing on all cylinders, you walk away more informed and have some insight into the news of the coming week, rather than analysis of the past.
To say that Washington is dysfunctional is doing a disservice to the word dysfunction. We are in an era of immense consequence, confusion, instability and change, here nationally and across the world. Yet, too often, we consume the ‘junk food’ horse race political updates, regurgitated partisan zingers that have been dulled to the sharpness of a spork, and the seemingly least consequential news of the political world.
Me nerding out at the Newseum at the Russert exhibit. The quote on the wall reads, “I don’t believe you can make tough decisions unless you can answer tough questions.”
To be pleased NBC pulled the plug on the David Gregory era, isn’t glee at the repudiation of the media personality, but hope that format will be revisited and returned to something that provided utility for viewers who have more than a casual interest in politics. What used to be an hour of thoughtful and news-making interviews had devolved into what can readily be found on the cable news networks for four hours every night.
Talking about the news is different than making the news – and for a long period, “Meet the Press” seemed to be able to do the latter. Deborah Turness, president of NBC news, offered this stark assessment to the Times, “I think the show had become a talking shop that raked over the cold embers of what had gone on the previous week.”
Speaking for this lapsed regular viewer, “Amen!”
The ‘creative destruction’ of the marketplace influences television just like anything else. Competitors are forced to react to each other, so excitement over the Todd era, isn’t just that “Meet the Press” will get better, but that all shows will improve their game.
We will all benefit from a more rigorous, Sunday circuit of consequence. Good luck Chuck!