(Journalists in 1972 - The Most Trusted People In America . . sort of)
A lot has been said lately about the current state of the Press in America. How it's gone from objective reporting and useful insights to partisan spin and blatant hackery - a far cry from the original intention of the Fourth Estate. But then, our current crop of politicians have slid off the rails rather well too - so there's enough blame to go around
In this Foreign Policy Association roundup of journalists views of our Foreign Policy in 1972 John Chancellor, anchor of the NBC Nightly News, gives a tongue-in-cheek assessment of what would become a somewhat cynical reality.
John Chancellor (NBC News): “I don’t know, really why, I asked myself coming over here today, why you bothered to invite this scurvy bunch of journalists to talk to you, these free-booters. I think I know why you asked me; it’s because I’m from Television and because I’m from Washington, and that makes me doubly trustworthy.”
Well, things were different then. This was, after all 1972.