Tell them what happened.

I was neither a huge fan or a detractor of Peter Jennings - but I will miss him for a simple reason: I don't know that I trust any other journalist on the scene to deliver the news with no baggage. CNN is embarrassing. Fox is a nonstarter. MSNBC is forever chasing some imaginary demographic. CBS is spooked. And NBC leaves me informed but never MORE informed than I would be if I had just thumbed through the LA times, usually less.
There was a time in this country when news reporting on television seemed to hold to a simple rule: tell them what happened.
That's it. No more, no less. I suppose that ratings mattered to Cronkite and Huntley and the rest. But they never over road that simple rule:
Tell them what happened today.
Jennings did just that. He told us what happened, when it happened, where it happened, and who it happened to.
WHENEVER I see news on TV now I just ASSUME I must go elsewhere to complete the story. Basic parts of all stories are left out on all the cable networks.The point of the cable news outlets is to entertain and/or create a state of agitation. AND TO FORCE US TO PRETEND TO CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT. And frankly, CBS and NBC news are fine, but pointless.
Jennings reported and had the courtesy and good sense to let us decide. I like some news anchors and I like some "news" shows. But I don't kid myself. They don't care if I am better informed - they only care that I am watching.

Jennings will be missed.