Jim Leher has Died

Famed journalist and debate moderator, Jim Leher has passed away. As a former PBS newsman myself, I'm deeply saddened by this. He was fair, balanced and gave us the news in a way that allowed us to think, rather than it being spoon fed to us. RIP sir.

Jim Leher, dead at 85

 

RIP. I used to watch him on the newshour. He was a fair and balanced newscaster.

 

Farewell to an educated, intelligent journalist who took the responsibilities of his profession very seriously. I'm afraid we won't see his like again.

 

This really sucks. He's one of the last great journalists. They don't make them like they use to.

 

Many of us grew up in a pre-CNN world where the evening network news was the television go-to for those who wanted to be well-informed. Cronkite, Rather, Chancellor, Brokaw, Jennings... all were good and the choice was largely personal preference. But if you wanted to go to the next level and become a real news and current-events junkie, there was the MacNeil-Lehrer Report on PBS. Longer stories, deeper interviews, more international issues; they were the gold standard.

And PBS Newshour still is, as far as I am concerned (though I usually get it in audio podcast form now). And a big share of the credit goes to Jim Lehrer. He was always paying attention and in interviews and presidential debates could come up with a perfect question to shed a new angle of light on a subject.

And he was a bus nerd! His dad ran a bus station. I know little about that but his enthusiasm for the subject was cool.

Well, he liked to say "I am not in the entertainment business." So I'm afraid you're right.

 

This is a sad event, not just because it's the death of a great journalist, but because it represents the death of great journalism.

RIP, Jim Lehrer.

 

I remember they would end each MacNeil/Lehrer news broadcast with Lehrer saying to MacNeil, "Goodnight Robin" and MacNeil would reply "Goodnight Jim".

Goodnight Jim. RIP.