The thought makes Jones pensive. I think journalism is a really honorable and important job. I think journalists need to feel that it's important. You asked me what the purpose of the show was. I guess it's to take journalism seriously.
Television is a passive medium and news requires more engagement.
On balance, many would rather be entertained, he says. You can't, so far as I know, but I see his point. It's like being in the stacks of a library. Another source of encouragement for Jones are his students at Duke University, where he and his wife split a chair and he teaches twice a week. Still, a media gap occasionally surfaces in class.