Why I Do Television

The end of January marked the last production day of the Star Jones Show on truTV. I want to thank Turner, truTV (and the memory of Court TV) for the opportunity to do television that I was proud of for the last few months. I also want to thank my In Session colleagues for their unwavering support and I look forward to joining them as we continue to cover the top legal issues in this country. Special thanks to the greatest production team I have ever worked with. Your integrity and professionalism is so rare in this business... that I was honored to be your colleague and I count you as my friends.

I do however; owe the greatest thanks to you, the audience who gave me a second chance.

When we started this program last summer, our goal from day one was to do a show that would inform you, entertain you, and make us proud to come to work every day. I believe we were consistent with our pledge that on every topic, our team would work hard to be right on the facts. And with every story we would be knowledgeable and clear about the law. Most importantly we've been able to look ourselves in the mirror every morning knowing that we never compromised... not in any way. We never stooped to the level of rumor, gossip, or innuendo as the basis of any of our stories. Because telling real stories of real people demands that level of integrity...and I've been privileged to work with a team of people who not only believed in it, but their work showed it.

Whenever there is a change in life, you re-assess, re-evaluate and decide if what you are doing... is what you should be doing. My answer is yes. Every morning I get an email from one of my prayer partners called "Morsels of Kindness." Lo and behold today's morsel was right on point. It read: "Integrity is to be pursued before careers. Every vocation cries out for it." It then directed me to read Proverbs verse 19, chapter 1, which reads: "better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse."

I don't care what religion you are or what god you pray to; this verse should be the mantra of anyone who has the privilege of coming into your home through the public airways as a news anchor or a talk show host. We have a job to inform and entertain, but we have an obligation to speak the truth.

Television is my opportunity to give a voice to those that are often voiceless. So, I do it because I still have a lot to say.

Comments

[TERRYKEITH4]

Star, Star. Here you go again! You say you'll speak the truth, but you're just talking the talk again. What about those little girls who looked to you as a role model? Did you ever pay them back for not showing up? And if I had not shown up on this blog you would've had only 5 or 6 comments on this blog.

[OtayPanky]

Star Jones: We have a job to inform and entertain, but we have an obligation to speak the truth.

===

Dear Star -

For this reader (well, now I'm the writer) you have always been the embodiment of INTEGRITY.

You have always spoken truth to power.

You have always been a a bastion of sincerity in an insincere world.

Even when watching you was maximally entertaining, you have always informed, in so many ways.

Your devoted fan,

OtayPanky

[racom]

Why I don't watch television!

[ICUP]

Voice to the voicelss? Like Murdoch, GE, and Viacom? I'm glad there's someplace for the poor, faceless corporations to be heard.

[PTodd]

Television is the last place I go to be informed or to find the truth. The corporate masters who own the media generally do not allow it. I have not watched any news programming in the US for months, so who knows, maybe there is something decent out there, if so it will surely be ignored by the ignorant that have chosen McCain/Huckabee and Hillary/Obama as the front runners.

The corporate sponsors will also stay away in droves, and then you won't DO television anymore. You are better off staying away from the Truth if you want to survive on Television.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

Why I Do Television

1 - It pays better

2 - the hours are better