Flipping through mindless television in my nightly vegetative solitude I stumbled upon Larry King doing his shtick about the audacity of greedy AIG executives. Three fourths of the way into the show he takes a break to announce to the world that Dr. Sanjay Gupta (one of the other CNN super anchors) had become a father for the third time. Soon the fresh baby's picture was splashed across the screen and the doctor was on the phone giving us the medical details. I could almost hear the viewing audience go "aaahhhh". In the two minutes that followed the doctor told us that this was his third daughter. He did not know "if this was meant to be a punishment or a reward". While he had delivered his second daughter he did not perform the delivery this time. Despite his hectic schedule we learned he had been a good husband being present for every ultrasound except one. Then we found out that he was present in the OR for all his children's deliveries and this time the journalist in him had him flip the camera on in one hand while the other cut the umbilical chord. Interrupted by Larry he spared us the remaining details and we all found out what a stand up father, husband and doctor Sanjay Gupta really is.
Did we really need to know all this? Do we really care? He is not exactly a family friend, he is just a face on TV. He may be a dashing young accomplished surgeon with an angular chin, "ethnic" and articulate, but at the end of the day he is just another TV reporter, a ruse for a journalist, trying to transform himself into a celebrity by virtue of being on TV. And here was CNN taking part in that very process by shoving his personal life into our face.
There was a time when journalism was about the story and not the person bringing us the story. But with the advent of the Diane Sawyers and Barbra Walters TV journalism has become as much about the face as the story. The cult of personality of TV reporters has become an acceptable aspect of TV news reporting. The respective networks that these personalities represent market them as faces of authenticity and integrity. If it is coming from the mouth of a Blitzer or a Brokow then the news has a certain element of gravitas, and therefore must be credible. If not it would be just drivel. And hence that cult of personality has to be shaped through promo spots and having absurd names for news programs like AC 360ยบ. News has to be delivered in a constant state of climax, otherwise the 30 second sound byte would be lost in the air waves of an infinite TV universe.
So while TV networks conspire in creating the cult of personality for their anchormen and women, one should be aware that they are playing the role of the paparazzi in a surreptitious way. Thus the anchors walk a dangerous line of potentially falling victim to their own personality. There is only six degrees of separation between CNN, Fox News, ABC News and TMZ.
The difference being Larry King will not take a break to reveal to the world if Dr. Sanjay Gupta were to be involved in a child custody battle or an extra marital affair.
It is what it is.
Did we really need to know all this? Do we really care? He is not exactly a family friend, he is just a face on TV. He may be a dashing young accomplished surgeon with an angular chin, "ethnic" and articulate, but at the end of the day he is just another TV reporter, a ruse for a journalist, trying to transform himself into a celebrity by virtue of being on TV. And here was CNN taking part in that very process by shoving his personal life into our face.
There was a time when journalism was about the story and not the person bringing us the story. But with the advent of the Diane Sawyers and Barbra Walters TV journalism has become as much about the face as the story. The cult of personality of TV reporters has become an acceptable aspect of TV news reporting. The respective networks that these personalities represent market them as faces of authenticity and integrity. If it is coming from the mouth of a Blitzer or a Brokow then the news has a certain element of gravitas, and therefore must be credible. If not it would be just drivel. And hence that cult of personality has to be shaped through promo spots and having absurd names for news programs like AC 360ยบ. News has to be delivered in a constant state of climax, otherwise the 30 second sound byte would be lost in the air waves of an infinite TV universe.
So while TV networks conspire in creating the cult of personality for their anchormen and women, one should be aware that they are playing the role of the paparazzi in a surreptitious way. Thus the anchors walk a dangerous line of potentially falling victim to their own personality. There is only six degrees of separation between CNN, Fox News, ABC News and TMZ.
The difference being Larry King will not take a break to reveal to the world if Dr. Sanjay Gupta were to be involved in a child custody battle or an extra marital affair.
It is what it is.
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