The WRight Way
By Ron Wright
(Cazenovia, NY) Consider the ABC Evening News with Diane Sawyer. Diane seems to be a nice person and likewise probably would be a good neighbor, mother or grandmother. I have nothing against her personally. The off-screen announcer opens with: “And Now The ABC Evening News with Diannnnne Sawyerrrrrr,” allowing her revered name to flow off the tongue in a long, almost hushed and reverently slowing presentation, ending in a sugary whisper.
You may have seen promotional ads about Diane and her news program. Some are silent pieces with an unseen spokesman busily overlaying accolades about her commanding presence and mastery of the news. As she strides across the promo landscape, captured in slow motion, her lovely tresses slowly flow in the breeze while she is engaged in what must be some important conversation.
A towering figure in command of her craft. Several magazines in recent years refer to Diane as “brainy” and “beautiful.” Cut to another promo of Diane walking up to some official presiding at some natural disaster and you witness her insisting on being informed immediately about “How did this happen?” and “What is going to be done to correct the problem?”
Obviously, the boss-lady-in-charge department. She is going to show these slackers how to get everything fixed in the next five minutes.
Contemporary TV craft now includes the side-to-side conversation mode or tactic. The anchor or co-anchor converse with each other with you as the third party. They appear eager to question and answer each other. They relay surprise or astonishment with each fact stated or topic discussed.
You the viewer might have questioned a single reporter looking directly at you but such an honest (rehearsed, or didn’t you know) conversation is going on now right in front of your eyes. You were afforded the honor of witnessing these two champions engaged in revealing undeniable truth. They are obviously so intelligent and are dressed so smartly they just must be reliable!
Examples of program content: Diane’s recent interview with President Obama where she grills the Commander-in-Chief with brutally frank questioning: “Mr. President, after an exhausting day at the mercy of those heartless evil Republicans, how do you find time to relax?”
Is she tough as nails or what? Perhaps a poignant but sanitized report of a tornado strike somewhere. (This gets in the man-made global warming story.) Maybe a survey about the depressed U.S. home market (underscoring another Bush 43 legacy) or the latest diet fad. Often an animal story about the latest panda bear births at some zoo or how a lost puppy in Wisconsin found his way home. (Usually nothing about the 55 million American humans missing since 1973.)
And clips on the latest video game developments and a social media update fit in nicely. So to the last story of the news tonight: How young Bob Smith survived a 10-year dandruff nightmare and graduated first in his class! Human interest material for sure. Nothing wrong with that. Right? Is that all there is today, ABC?
After watching her program for a time, many people will certainly admire Diane the Celebrity. Everybody in TV has to be a celebrity now, or they quickly become toast. Folks will probably want to be in agreement with anyone as trustworthy as she seems to be.
You hardly realize how much she is influencing you when those subtle and not-so-subtle facial gestures reveal her actual feelings about what in times past would have been a neutrally presented news story. The warm smile on a position she agrees with and wants you to agree with, as well. The narrowing of her eyes and the slight frown regarding things you should really oppose.
Her job in all this includes: To make you like and trust her; to convince you that she is a great judge of what is right or wrong in the greater universe; to keep you focused on what the station masters want you to be thinking about; and to use up your news-watching “half hour” so you won’t be watching some other news presentation.
You have been soothed. Distant rumors about dozens of countries in the world currently ablaze with violent political unrest might just be rumors. Besides these events sound so complex that you would have to try figuring things out for yourself. Better to focus on the soft news stories because you can sleep at night. Those nebulous hints about a fundamental change occurring in America are something for musty old scholars to debate. Diane and the crew will gloss over this for you so you should not be concerned.
You have performed your civic duty and “watched the news.” You believe you have been educated regarding all worthy current events. No need to think about anything else because ABC or NBC or CBS or … have determined 1) what you need to be aware of; and 2) how you should think about it. So you go to bed with sweet dreams about all you were told about going so wonderfully in the world.
Ron Wright of Cazenovia is a retiree with keen interest in his family, history, politics and his church. He began putting his thoughts on paper a little over a decade ago to share with family and friends. Ron, whose column appears the third edition each month, may be reached at madnews@m3pmedia.com.
Explain your particular attraction to Bill O’Reilly, please. And, Rush Limbaugh’s voice. I take you don’t watch him, although you can on the internet. Such a titillating chair full of blubber! How can you sleep at night?