Fraters Libertas

Talk Show Hosting 101

In his column earlier this week, George Will eulogized his old colleague from ABC, David Brinkley. Brinkley's dignity and gentility of presentation was emphasized, which according to Will is sorely missed among today's generation of broadcasters. Here are few of the darts he throws in what has to be in the direction of Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and whoever is on Crossfire these days:

Long before high-decibel, low-brow cable shout-a-thons made the phrase "gentleman broadcaster" seem oxymoronic, Brinkley made it his business to demonstrate the compatibility of toughness and civility in journalism.

How anachronistic the maxim "mind your manners" seems in the harsh light cast by much of today's television. How serene, even proud, Brinkley was about becoming somewhat of an anachronism.

Like the Founders of this fortunate Republic, Brinkley set standards of performance in his profession that still are both aspirations and reproaches to subsequent practitioners.

I hope Jesse Ventura is heeding this advice, since he seems to be having great trouble finding a unique niche from which to present his upcoming talk show on MSNBC, and since he's been known to engage in some high volume, low brow shout-a-thons (until recently, known here in Minnesota as Gubernatorial press conferences).

Jesse should also remember this wise observation from George Will:

[Brinkley] understood a fundamental truth about television talk shows: what one does on them one does in strangers' living rooms. So mind your manners; do not make a scene.

Very true, because when it comes to someone shouting "I'm a Navy SEAL, let's get it on and see what you're going to do about it!" my living room has a capacity of one (and that's me).

One more piece of advice for Ventura via George Will, if you're considering chomping on a big stogie during your broadcast, forget about it, it's already been done.

In 1949 John Cameron Swayze's "Camel News Caravan," for which young Brinkley, who had joined NBC in 1943, was a reporter, was carried for 15 minutes five nights a week. The sponsor required Swayze, who always wore a carnation in his lapel, to have a lit cigarette constantly in view.