These are just a few of the names of the folks who not only report the news for us each day, but give us the spin. This week, a giant in broadcasting died at 91. Since 1931 when he started with CBS radio until two weeks ago giving an essay on All Things Considered, Robert Trout was a giant in broadcasting. For almost 70 years he was on the scene, giving the story behind every major event. It was he who told CBS listeners that World War II was over, that the King of England abdicated, that the 1939 World s Fair was a hit, that John Kennedy had been nominated.
Long life is such a special gift to journalists.
We can enjoy the satisfaction of closure. We live long enough to appreciate the qualities of the people we covered, long enough to understand what our stories really meant. And ultimately how they all turned out. Yet that is the special gift we have, as we look back at these passages. We have the distance to understand what they mean, and find good news in each of them.