Two of the best-known media people of our time will soon be taking farewell bows.
NBC's Tom Brokaw, 64, intends to "drop out of sight for a while" -- at least three months -- as of Dec. 1. Popular and unassuming, he is admired and trusted by millions, both in his field and out. He visited here in the summer of 2003 during the dedication ceremonies for the Dole Institute of Politics and came across then, as he does on the television screen, as sincere, competent, warm and effective.
Brokaw, with a South Dakota heritage, has a grassroots quality about him that transcends "the tube" and seems to be a genuine good citizen with a common touch. He has authored books such as "The Greatest Generation" about World War II combatants and has made countless friends in a number of generations.
Brokaw has every reason and right to be proud of what he has accomplished as one of the most highly visible public personalities of our time.
CBS's Dan Rather, 73, is due to sign off as evening news icon for his network on March 9, exactly 24 years after succeeding Walter Cronkite in the No. 1 newsroom chair. A Texan with a huge body of notable work in the field of news and analysis, Rather is expected to remain more active than Brokaw in other TV news programming.
Most recently, of course, Rather and his network were badly burned by false information about the military career of President George W. Bush and took far too long to admit they had been bilked and to offer an apology. Rather repeatedly came off as arrogant and abrasive in defense of what happened and he has gained a firm reputation, right or wrong, as having an anti-Republican bias. While he is reported to have a softer side, he often comes across as harsh and vindictive; he certainly lacks Brokaw's warmth.
Adding to the cloud that may hang over Rather dropping his anchor duties are upcoming official reports that apparently will be critical of the pre-election incident. Critics contend that CBS and Rather would never have been bitten by the fake data if they had not already had a mindset aimed at doing damage to the Bush presidential campaign.
Despite the recent controversy, the quip-spouting Texan has posted a tremendous career in the field of television and radio. His overall portfolio offers much commendable work of which he can be proud.
Many see the departures of Brokaw and Rather as marking the end of an era of network television news dominance because of the onslaught of so many other sources, such as improved newspapers, cable television and the Internet. How long before ABC's Peter Jennings, the other member of the traditional Big Three, follows the other two into retirement?
Some see the retiring Brokaw as "the good guy" and Rather as something of a villain because he does not exude the same "down-home" quality of Brokaw. Still, both men have honorably devoted their lives to news gathering and news dissemination and have earned the chance to enjoy their later years in pleasant, rewarding and productive ventures.
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