And then there were none
With the death of Ed Bradley today, we’re seeing the slow steady beginning of a new era, the old media juggernauts of one of the most powerful news shows in America, 60 minutes, are slowly going out to pasture or dying. First it was Dan Rather retiring. Then it was Mike Wallace calling it quits. And now there’s Ed Bradley. Andy Rooney is still holding on with all the strength that his bushy eyebrows can muster, but it’s only a matter of time before he succumbs to time as well.
Looking at the new recruits, I’m not particularly enthused at what we’ll have left. I watched Katie Couric’s first 60 minutes piece, a profile on Condi Rice, and was bored. She had arguably one of the most powerful women in the world right in front of her, and she essentially did a “fluff” piece on her. And have you seen the guy who’s slowly taking over for Andy Rooney? I don’t even know his name, that’s how uninspiring he is.
With the recent popularity of Dateline’s “To Catch A Predator,” let’s not forget that the media’s job is not to simply show us a carnival freak show, a kaleidoscope of depravity. It’s to make a democratic government as transparent as possible. Translucency is not adequate. Let us hope that 60 Minutes will continue to fulfill that role.
