From Cronkite to Colbert: The Evolution of Broadcast News Book

This was an extremely well-written and thoughtful analysis of the evolution of journalism, specifically the news media from, to use Baym's own phrasing, "Cronkite to Colbert".

As a millennial, I can tell you that much of the lamentations of my generation by older generations are unfair and have little basis in fact - we are simply different from the previous generation just as they were indeed different from the generation that preceded them. But I suppose each generation will undoubtedly bemoan the next; such is the circle of life. However, I can attest that at least one observation of my generation has a solid foothold in the facts - while cautiously optimistic, we tend to take what 'the mainstream media' says with a grain of salt, preferring to get our news from Internet sources and 'fake news' shows rather than traditional media outlets. Even without Baym's thorough analysis, I could have given you, if asked, a list of reasons that I didn't fully trust network news; however, Baym provides a detailed look at how what he calls 'post-modernist' news came to be. For me, that really highlighted my own suspicions of the mainstream media's inherent inclinations to serve corporations and protect the status quo - an idea that Baym puts forth much more eloquently than I could ever hope to.

By examining the integrity of the Golden Age of Journalism and it's most veneered names in Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow, Baym shows exactly how different today's news media is, and how, to quote Jon Stewart, "the bias of the mainstream media is towards sensationalism , conflict, and laziness." All of this only amplifies my longing for Jon Stewart to come back on television - Why did you leave us now, Jon, why? - although his successors, namely Stephen Colbert (now on CBS' The Late Show), Samantha Bee (on TBS), and John Oliver (on HBO), are doing a stellar job trying to make sense of whatever the hell is going on this election season.

To summarize, if anyone is interested in understanding how exactly the news media, from its revered days only fifty or so years ago, became so focused on ratings, and how this has opened the door for alternative sources, this is a great book to read.