It's hard to believe that six years have passed since the world lost Peter Jennings. The Canadian-born, American broadcaster - who later
His career was impressive: after several years of reporting for Canadian television - Jennings would come stateside to spend the next 40 years at ABC News. First as a reporter, then as chief foreign correspondent, and finally - for 22 years - as anchor and senior editor of "World News Tonight". During his tenure in that final role, he shaped the news coverage of the entire network - and became the face of the news division. He was adamant about covering events around the world - issues that mattered, whether they were popular or not.
He drew on his extensive reporting background to make editorial decisions when anchoring from New York ("from ABC News world headquarters in New York, this is World News Tonight with Peter Jennings"). When the story couldn't be told from behind a desk, he was on a plane to report and anchor from the field. It was that genuine drive to not only cover the story, but get to the bottom of it, that earned the respect of viewers, colleagues, and competitors alike. Peter's delivery conveyed a measured sense of importance and experience, yet wasn't sensational...and he could do it with or without a teleprompter. It was that skill that made him indispensable during breaking news special reports - in particular the week of 9/11.
That special relationship he formed with his viewers made the news of his death on August 7th, 2005, that much harder to take. He had announced in early April he had been diagnosed with lung cancer - admitting he had been a smoker for many years, had quit, and started back up during 9/11. The response was immediate. Messages of sadness and offers of condolences came pouring in to the comment section on the ABC News website - and not just from the United States, but all over the world. Viewers in Canada who have access to American television...and people in the UK who watched "World News Tonight" rebroadcast by the BBC.
The wide range of people Peter connected with during his long career speaks to the quality of his work. Everyone in television news can still learn from his story telling. By doing so, we can continue his legacy of telling stories that matter and that resonate - perhaps even changing people's lives. He set the bar high - and we should be inspired to follow his lead and not take the easy way out. To find ways to make important stories visual, and find characters who will make complex issues hit home. Yes, at the end of the day, the news is still a business that needs to remain viable - but it's also a public service, a duty to the viewers we serve. A true journalist won't lose sight of that.
The day after Peter died, ABC News began honoring his life and career. Below, in three parts, is the special edition of "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings" that aired Monday, August 8th, 2005. Anchored by longtime friend and colleague Charles Gibson, the broadcast was just one of many well-done tributes to the legendary reporter and anchor.
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL PETER JENNINGS TRIBUTES:
9/20/2012 What a great American. We were going through our DVR and had recorded the ABC tribute to Peter Jennings. What a great legacy and what a great American.
ReplyDeleteWe were watching old recordings that were on our VCR and Peter Jennings was the oldest recording on it. It was amazing to watch the tribute to a great American like Peter Jennings.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember how long I had been aware of Peter Jennings' anchoring of ABC's World News Tonight, but I do remember his profound influence on me starting in my teenage years. There is something "ultra professional" about him. Even more than that... There is something, somehow, untouchable about him and the ability he had while doing what he did, so perfectly. Damn, I miss him.
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