Are Sunday Pundits Gone With the Wind?

Watching David Gregory get the Meet the Press torch handed to him by NBC via the age-spotted hands of Tom Brokaw created an illusion of transparency that the secretive selection process did not deserve. For weeks, media insiders speculated more about what Sarah Palin would wear or not wear than how the choice of one of the most powerful seats in news media would be chosen. Ultimately the fatherly lecture delivered to the 38-year-old Gregory was more a personal moment for pop historian Brokaw than anything else. The choice had been made far from the eyesight of any of NBC viewers, in the halls of the last sanctioned all-Anglo boys club left in the US: the hall of network punditry.

The young Gregory should expect, and I wish him, a long successful career. But therein lays the problem. Brinkley retired at the age of 77 from his all-access front row seat to power. That could mean another 39 years of raw media influence for Gregory. Face the Nation's Bob Schieffer could easily stay in his seat another 10 to 15 years. Stephanopoulos is one of the other youngsters in the group at the age of 47 and John King was just given CNN's prestigious Sunday slot. Unless CBS breaks the mold we will not see a woman or person of color lead policy discussions and enjoy unparalleled access to the nation's power elite on Sunday mornings for at least 25 years. The network punditry has done what even the US Presidency failed to do: remain a racially-covenanted boys club for at least the first third of the 21st century.

Brokaw made a grand gesture of asking Gregory to include voices of his generation. In the "aw shucks" style of a teen being given instructions on how to behave at prom, Gregory smiled but made no commitments, other than to seek out more of Brokaws' sage advice.

As news of the Tribune looking for bankruptcy protection and NBC looking to fill more hours for less production cost wandered the airwaves, the Tara plantation of news -- Sunday morning punditry -- stands as a symbol of all that is stable. Unfortunately for the networks, stability has met history and has lost.

In order to revitalize Sunday mornings, Gregory must go beyond seeking those of his generation to seeking those outside of the guarded gates and marbled columns of the traditional media. Outside those gates there is a real marketplace of ideas, sometimes brutal, sometimes off, but entirely transformational and passionately vibrant. Should Gregory over the next few weeks make safe milky toast choices we will see that the columns of the estate stand only in testament to what was, and overseers of mansion-size decay. If Gregory chooses wisely he will bring in a new racially and ideologically diverse group that understands that ideas are no longer generated weekly, but hourly. Gregory could set upon a journey of talking to a group of journalists and pundits that understand the vibrancy of our democracy because they come from all parts of it. If Gregory will take these steps he will be setting the course of the new generation. If he does not, he will be tele-documenting the passing of the last.

Comments

[wayoutleft]

george will's obtuse millard fillmore anecdotes are still big stuff on the east coast. i wanna see people like katha pollitt, naomi wolf, david sirota, et al. no such luck. change sunday morning is gergen and brooks changing seats.

[WorkingClass]

Its hard to pay attention to these old fools when reality is breaking down your door. The corporate media are losing their grip on American thought processes. Sunday mourning talk just ain't the same when viewed from a tent city.

[Marcospinelli]

As I read the comments by, overwhelmingly, people who don't watch corporate media and tout the wonderfulness of people like Bill Moyers, I remind you all that corporations still control the reins of the airwaves which you say you don't watch. Millions of others do watch it and vote the way that corporations want them to vote.

True democracy won't happen until the people take back ownership of their airwaves from the corporations that fill the broadcasting time with American Idol and 24/7 Blagojevich.

[stevi]

I, too, have not watched these shows in probably close to 20 years (except for the clips played on other TV/cable news shows). We all know that an answer can be predicted, within certain limitations, by the way the question is framed. The Questions are, have been, and probably will continue to be ridiculous, soft and really, really white bread.

[larmarch5]

I remember talking to my boss some 10-15 years ago and how annoying it was to watch "only suits" on Sunday morning programs. He didn't watch them, so had no idea what I was talking about. I explained it was daunting to only see white males in charge of interviewing other white males. He shrugged. Anyway, I quit watching as well. Once in a while I'd see snippets of these programs, and they were yawners: guests allowed to make their speil unchallenged. I never even knew when the "much revered" Tim Russert took over.

You want some interesting, unpredictable, interviews? They are on "The View" and "The Daily Show" delivering not only more interesting questioning, but more information from the guests.

I also like hearing extended interviews on NPR, especially if call-ins are allowed.

Gregory isn't the problem; canned spam dialog is the problem.

[JRsNana]

In choosing to pick David Gregory for the MTP job, NBC showed that they are absolutely tone-deaf to the changes in our country. Hey NBC - It's 2008. Putting together a short list of white guys under 50 (and one black female so people will think we're really cool) was pretty ugly. More of the same. And David Gregory was a really bad choice. Look at the ratings for his MSNBC show. Placed "perfectly" between "Hardball" and "Countdown", he couldn't even sustain an audience. Rachel came on after "Countdown" and kicked butt. Think about it. During the most exciting Presidential campaign in generations, you have a show called "Race for the White House" and you can't even hold a good portion of the "Hardball" audience. A new face comes on, strategically placed after "Countdown" and she runs all over freakin' Larry King! I'm not saying Rachel should have been given MTP (but really, a PhD, Rhodes scholar wouldn't have been the worst choice), I'm just saying that they didn't think outside the box AT ALL. They just ran straight into the arms of yet another young white guy. Boooorrrrrinnnggg.

[BMS]

The choice of Gregory is the end for me. The Sunday shows are (for the most part) all male, all white, all the time. They don't represent me or anyone I know. At least now my Sunday mornings are freed up for other activities.

[MakersMark]

Exactly how I feel

[lovable]

pundits are just opinions like ours. they don t go out among america to measure the pulse. they sit at home or go to coctail parties and have no contact with regular hard working american. then they go on
a sunday show or a show during the week and tell us what america is thinking and want . THEY HAVE NO IDEA THEY JUST MAKE IT UP!!!.all of them want to be stars . come on do u really belive that peggy noonan talks to ordinary americans . !!!!!!!!

[LABC]

Thank you!! That is exactly what I think when I watch the insulated cast of insiders on "This Week" - Cokie getting ready for her close-up on some Bethesda magazine geared to rich folks, George Will name dropping and loving the sound of his voice, Sam Donaldson and his faux populism, and little George and his ultimate insider role. None of these people go outside of their cocktail circuit worlds and have the slightest idea as to what America is thinking. After listening to them and their ilk on other stations during the election, I am giving myself a vacation from them.

[Edzero]

The main stream media, both print and airwave versions are becoming a
tributary that will finally evolve into a dry gulch.

The citizenry of a democracy needs insight provoking information
along the lines of Bill Moyers interviews.

Pundits are a thing of the past, guided by the same genre of rear view
mirror CEOs that have given us the big 3 auto companies.

The slumbering masses are waking up. A nation of zombies
is no more.

Too bad corporate America.

[Heloise888]

I record all the Sunday am shows. At one point one could go almost a year pre-Barack before a black person would be guest on one of the major shows or a regular (McLaughlin group always had one token) but mostly not a black man or woman in sight, hence little insight into politics du jour or by the hour.

I love Donna Brazil and she and a few other progressives have been seen post-Barack's ascendance. And perhaps she and a few others will linger on after 2009. Then there is Ifil who is a good moderator but she is on public TV for goodness sake. Like I found when first introduced to slave archeology everyone involved was WHITE! I thought OMG where are the black folks doing archeology in America. Then I found one prominent black woman and she was so rare that they put her in the Smithosonian to run...that was years ago. But my point is black anchors on TV don't make money for the networks. But will there ever be black TV...I don't THINK so.

And what about gays that other persuasion? At least they have Rachel. She's good, but if she doesn't stop talking about Bush who's rating are about to drop to negative numbers I'll have to not watch her either. I personally don't want to hear about Bush or the freakin' Iraq war he started and will leave us to clean up. But that's just me.

Heloise

[jesselee26]

you know, when i had kids i kind of went through this funk cause i ended up having to give up the sunday morning ritual of laying in bed with the times on my lap and the clicking back and forth between all the shows. but now, that i've had a few years, and i've learned to just get all i need from the net, i realize i don't miss it. not at all. these are the dinosaurs that walk TOWARD the meteor.

[ShoreSage]

Couldn't they have done better than David Gregory?? He was pathetic on "Road to the Whitehouse" and "1600" They should have left him as White House correspondent where he can try to keep up with Helen.

[worddiva]

The new administration is looking more like America of the future, but our news personalities look more like America of the past. If the networks don't get serious about diversifying, they will become more irrelevant than they are now.

[unite4change]

I couldn't have said it any better. Bravo, Worddiva! You are absolutely right, and most of these personalities are always talking about the past like Pat Buchannan, Ed Rollins, George Will, etc. Enough already!

[LABC]

Amen!!

[larry278]

I think that I'll stick with Jason Linkins. Regardless of what might happen to the Sun AM talking head exhibits, they are dull. Jason reports on them. His reports are funny--always. There are times when he delivers insights. That's hard to do when all of the Sun AM...Exhibits are fluff. Often-there isn't anything but fluff on a Sun AM. If the Sun AM is all fluff for 3 weeks or more Jason is forced to rely upon his vile & wicked sense of humor to keep people using his blog. We users of HP & Jason's blog will be laughing as the Sun AM talk-fests fall apart & die.
Making a 50 year old format sparkle & live-how about making gold out of base metals too? It can't & won't be done.

[neosoul]

I wished I cared (sigh)

Perhaps I should be outraged (huh)?

I wish I was outraged (darn).

...but I don"t watch NBC (next).

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