A PIONEERING WOMAN she was, but not just TV News Journalism. She was bigger.
She fought for women's rights and gave millions of dollars to women's issues and charities.
Barbara Walters was a generational figure. You'd have thought her death, (on Saturday) would have garnered some attention by the local media here, most especially on
KGO-TV, the
ABC-owned station at
900 Front.
Other then a very brief moment, from the network itself, Circle7 was abysmally silent. Not a peep, not a sound. Not a reflection, nada.
Where were you, Dion Lim? Where were you, Sunday anchor, Liz Kreutz? And Lisa Argen?
It's beyond professional courtesy and acknowledgement by some women that are even on the air because of Walters' legacy. It's more than that. It's the classy thing to do. A simple, short tribute but it wasn't in the local
ABC7 cards and that's downright embarrassing.
Maybe today, (Monday) or later in the week, we'll see a notice by KGO but don't hold your breath.
CBS Sunday Morning did an excellent piece on Barbara Walters. Jane Pauley was her replacement on TODAY, so she had an interesting perspective. Ted Koppel and Sam Donaldson also show another side of her career, too.
ReplyDeleteThe View is a shit stain on her legacy.
ReplyDelete"The Shrews". Nothing more than a post menopausal gyno whine fest of illiterate narcissists.
DeleteMost of todays generation only know her from "The View". And depending on which way you lean politically you either can't stand her or tolerate her. I know quite a few liberal 30 somethings that can't stand The View. Sadly, that is what she is remembered for outside the older generation.
ReplyDeleteI still remember when she went full on Karen on Norm Macdonald on The View just because he brought up some of the bad things the Clinton's had done. Like Christine, total Clinton apologist. Norm trolled them perfectly.
ReplyDeleteBarbara and I both know that the plural of Clinton is "Clintons" not the possessive form you chose,"Clinton's". Norm died young, relatively speaking. Barbara did not. In any event, the View which is enormously successful made lots of moolah for Ms.Walters, a good thing. It was far from her most significant achievement. As for her being some sort of lefty, that's laughable. Some of her closest friends were extremely conservative, in a good way.
DeleteThe readers and I all know that Norm dying young has nothing to do with the original statement.
Delete10 minutes of Norm trolling The View for our Viewing pleasure.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGFkjz_U4tA
Christine is right. "The View" was far from being Barbara's most significant achievement.
DeleteShe was in her mid 90s. She was popular two or three generations ago. Today she is only really remembered for bringing us The View and that isn't something she is lauded for.
ReplyDeleteIn journalistic history, Barbara was a very important and courageous pioneer. That is how she should be remembered.
Delete"two or three generations ago"??? wonky math
DeleteYes well worth watching. Here is the link. Whole show is great.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cbsnews.com/video/sunday-morning-full-episode-1-1-2023/
Her death was announced during the 6 pm ABC7 news on Friday and with coverage until 8 pm. I have also seen tributes on numerous news broadcasts on all networks throughout the weekend. ABC aired a special last night.
ReplyDeleteABC7 was too busy Building a Better Bay Area to do a report about Walters.
ReplyDeleteWalters would not sign Ming's Petition so she is persona non grata.
ReplyDeleteGuess what, some people didn’t like Barbara Walters standing up for Clinton because he was an annoying, self righteous, womanizing, glad handing prick. But the guy was an excellent president. No wars involving US servicemen getting killed and a roaring economy. And this ‘‘Karen’ crap we constantly have to hear from conservatives? Come up with something more original And WTF gives a hoot what a mediocre comedian such as Norm McDonald thinks about anything anyway! Good for Barbara Walters for calling that annoying fool out.,
ReplyDeleteBarbara was no saint. Ever see her 1981 interview with Brooke Shields? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bl92avzgzA
ReplyDeleteI saw where CNN did a latenight past episode from the (late) Larry King special when he interviewed Barbara Walters...
ReplyDeleteI don't know Rich, but I would give KGO local people a pass on this one, because Barbara's death was covered extensively by all of the networks, including of course, ABC. So while local opinions of bay area somewhat anchors may have been few and far between, there was indeed plenty of coverage, to go around.
ReplyDeleteThere is only one thing that governs whether the anchors address any issue on the air and that's the News Director. If KGO didn't cover Walters to your satisfaction then blame the News Director and not the talent. No news anchor who wants to keep their job is going to go rogue. Or does the name Mark Mester not ring a bell?
ReplyDelete