Jim Lehrer presented the news to PBS viewers for decades with accuracy and integrity, even as his journalistic approach faded from the airwaves. When he died recently, at 85, the acclaimed reporter was universally praised.
There’s a reason Lehrer moderated 12 presidential debates. Everyone knew he was fair and trustworthy. Along with co-anchor Robert MacNeil, he developed a method of reporting known as the “MacNeil-Lehrer style of journalism.”
The nine precepts guiding his philosophy were based on mutual respect for those being informed as well as those being covered. These profound guidelines ought to be standard operating procedure in every newsroom and taught in every journalism school.
Lehrer’s rules:
- “Do nothing I cannot defend.”
- “Cover, write, and present every story with the care I would want if the story were about me.”
- “Assume there is at least one other side or version to every story.”
- “Assume the viewer is as smart and as caring and as good a person as I am.”
- “Assume the same about all people on whom I report.”
- “Assume personal lives are a private matter until a legitimate turn in the story absolutely mandates otherwise.”
- “Carefully separate opinion and analysis from straight news stories, and clearly label everything.”
- “Do not use anonymous sources or blind quotes except on rare and monumental occasions. No one should ever be allowed to attack another anonymously.”
- “And finally, I am not in the entertainment business.”
Media outlets ignore Lehrer’s advice at their own peril. Tens of millions of Americans are skeptical about these organizations. A September 2019 Gallup poll found only 13% of the public has a “great deal of trust” in newspapers, television, and radio to report the news “fully, accurately, and fairly,” with 28% having a fair amount of trust. A whopping 58% have either “not very much” or no trust at all.
These dismal numbers prove Lehrer’s point about the intelligence of today’s audience. Informed viewers quickly discern when talking heads fail to conceal their contempt for some newsmakers while fawning over others. Instead of calling balls and strikes, the news anchors cheer for one team to win the game.
Many reporters aim to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” It would be refreshing if they were held to the identical standards they demand of public officials. Journalists who eagerly find inconsistencies and shortcomings in others would benefit by looking carefully in the mirror.
Any honest reflection would show the need for vast improvement. Is there a clear dividing line in their work between news and opinion, and is commentary labeled, as Lehrer suggested? When “bombshell” revelations are proven to be erroneous within hours or days, where is the accountability? Do news directors shine a light on correcting mistakes or just dash to the next topic sans explanation or contrition and hope collective memory is short?
One notable story exemplifies the media’s failure to follow Lehrer’s wise advice. The January 2019 controversy involving the boys from Covington Catholic and their visit to D.C. demonstrates the pitfalls of ignoring the multiple perspectives during any unfolding situation. In a rush to judgment, the media plunged recklessly into a narrative that quickly unraveled as additional videos emerged. The incident confirmed the fears of many regarding the media’s deficiencies.
Those so quick to condemn students such as Covington’s Nick Sandmann should have heeded the cautionary words of CBS legend Edward R. Murrow: “We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.”
Both Lehrer and Murrow helped guide our country through complicated eras. The journalists of today and tomorrow should learn from their example. As intense events occur, correspondents should calmly remain focused on facts and avoid temptations to exploit the moment. Failure to exercise control coarsens public discourse and further erodes trust in the Fourth Estate.
Reporters who pursue selfish agendas and viewers who reward them for it are co-conspirators who share the blame for whatever whirlwind they reap. Perhaps Murrow put it best when he quoted William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar during his landmark 1954 broadcast about Sen. Joseph McCarthy: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”
Kendall Wingrove is a freelance writer from Okemos, Michigan.
