May 13, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "The announcement that veteran PBS newsman Jim Lehrer is calling it quits -- sort of, eventually -- touched off a wave of appreciation for his unprecedented 36 years at PBS NewsHour and provided media prognosticators another opportunity to wonder about the future of TV journalism," begins a Christian Science Monitor story which quotes several media observers, including DePauw University's Jeff McCall. Gloria Goodale writes, "The nightly NewsHour, which Mr. Lehrer anchors, will continue after
his June 6 departure. Indeed, Lehrer will return to moderate the
program's Friday news analysis segments." (top photo: Professor McCall; below: Jim Lehrer)
According to Dr. McCall, professor of communication at DePauw, "Lehrer's main legacy to the American news culture
will be the many presidential debates he moderated. His selection as the moderator for so many of these
important political events signifies that both parties considered him a
reasonable and dedicated professional journalist -- not a pretty-boy TV
anchor looking to boost his career or spark sensational side shows."
The article -- headlined "Accolades galore for Jim Lehrer as he opts to exit PBS NewsHour" -- may be found at the Monitor's website.
Jeffrey M. McCall is a 1976 graduate of DePauw, faculty adviser to student radio station WGRE, and author of the book Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences. He's frequently called upon by major media outlets to discuss media matters. Last Saturday, his op-ed column on the state of TV news was published in the Indianapolis Star. He was quoted last week in a Christian Science Monitor report on CBS' decision to make Scott Pelley the anchor and managing editor of the network's Evening News broadcast and recently talked with the Los Angeles Times about the move by Fox News Channel to discontinue Glenn Beck's daily program.