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January 19, 2005
Ethos, pathos, and CBS News...
CBS chairman Leslie Moonves wants to shake up the evening news:
Mr. Moonves said the moves were likely to include a shift toward multiple anchors and away from what he called the "voice of God, single anchor" format that has been used throughout most of the history of network television news.
He's talking about changing the ethos of the news, i.e. the character of the product. This is no minor consideration. I think his instincts regarding the "voice of God" fit well with the changing noetic field. Voice-of-God anchors project an ethos of authority that has become difficult to maintain in our increasingly transactional world, in which citizen journalists may effectively fact-check and talk back to mainstream media. We are seeing the death of the conduit metaphor of civic information and the emerging of the web metaphor.
But this is just dumb:
But Mr. Moonves said he was looking to install something more "cutting edge" this time. As part of the overhaul he indicated he would even consider a role for Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "Daily Show." Mr. Stewart has emerged as both a late-night comedy star and a biting commentator on the news.
Jon Stewart is not a journalist. He'd be the first to tell you that. In fact, he's used his not being a journalist to great comic effect when real journalists have tried to interview him as a pundit. The strength of his punditry springs from his comedy.
I have said, and continue to believe, that Stewart and The Daily Show offer some of the best media critique found on television (or anywhere outside of academia). Two things make it good: 1) It's on point and 2) It's funnier'n hell. A deal with CBS would kill #2. Stewart would be a fool to accept. I just don't see it happening.
Changing the ethos of the news is certainly substantive. But any concept of "cutting edge" in journalism ought to have more to do with logos than pathos. Hiring Stewart would surely be pathetic.
Posted by acline at January 19, 2005 11:48 AM | | Spotlight