NBC reportedly made a serious pitch to comedian Jon Stewart to host Meet the Press, its long-running Sunday morning news interview program.
Shop Talk panelist Jasmine Crighton feels this is a sad commentary on the state of the news industry today. She said the network appears more interested in ratings than anything else.
Crighton also said Stewart is an excellent interviewer who’s known for pulling no punches, something she said is lacking from today’s TV news journalists. Panelist Rich Egger wondered why a comedian is asking tougher questions than television journalists. Crighton said some news anchors don’t appear to be very well read on current events.
Panelist Rich Moreno said TV reporters of the past were well-trained journalists, but today it seems as though hiring decisions are based on the person’s looks.
Moreno questioned whether NBC would have given Stewart the same freedom he enjoys on Comedy Central. He said Stewart is allowed to say pretty much whatever he wants on The Daily Show (with curse words bleeped out).
