Scotty: James B. Reston and the Rise and Fall of American Journalism

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Summary: A Farewell To A Journalistic Relic Before TV Mammal Babbles!
Review: "Scotty," is a tremendous book worthy of your purchase and time to read with interesting tidbits to understand the Gilded Age of American Journalism has it passes from American existence.

I was intrigued how the author was brave enough to tell us the truth about the rise and fall of journalism, and how they evolved and have since devolved when the new Dinosaur media took over and is now being replaced by Internet Instant Posters.

A wise old man told me sometime ago about Newspaper Men of his day. He said prior to the 1930's most reporters were pencil pushers hanging out at bars looking for a free drink in return for making up a story. Men of substance at that time whether they would be labor leaders, corporate builders, college football coaches, police chiefs or men who ran bookie joints often used them for the purpose to advance a selfish cause by giving out information or misinformation. One reason why newspaper men at that time were often called "root weevils" a mammal born blind and carrying the stink of his mother to keep predators away as they grow in the dirt of tunnels in the ground.

However, John Stacks uses the rise of Scotty Reston being one of the first to change both the caliber and perception of journalists. The author clearly makes a convincing case how Scotty Reston was heads above his peers and set higher standards in the White House Press Corp. He tells us, Scotty was not content with stories, but actually went out and enjoyed endearing himself to all people in government. This kind of hard work ended up with him reporting the entire account with accuracy changing the days of regurgitated governmental standard press releases.

Overtime, he gained the confidence of all people due to his in depth analysis of asking good questions that were clearly intended to make everyone think of what they were saying let alone policies the people in power were passing. Mr. Reston could often promote or kill a policy or practice with his exquisite research, dependable veritable contacts and precise reporting. As a result, News organizations started to hire more reporters with the caliber of Scotty Reston and the Gilded Age of American Journalism was born to change the world. Sadly, then came the "Age of Award Winning News Readers" on Radio and Television calling themselves journalists.

Where American journalism went wrong was calling the rise of Radio & Television News Readers bestowing the term of "Award Winning Journalists," on themselves. They were given such awards from their own regional tiny industry at small-arranged parties. Overtime, it was learned that if you want to sell manure in Nebraska, advertise it. So "Award Winning Journalists," were made up in seconds instead of taking the time to acquire the skills of true journalists approximating Scotty Reston.

Today, you see the result of such conversions of making "News Readers," (A Term Still Used In Europe), hired for how they look more often than any proficiency of real journalists. And in Radio, too often they are too fat, bald, frumpy and dumpy to be seen on TV, save for having nice voices that do not stutter. Excluding in depth investigations for a three-minute deadline to say it fast over getting it right, and if a good question is asked they get hang up, but they still call themselves journalists today?

Subsequently, the steady ability of what Scotty Reston created with hard work and checking thoroughly the whole story has been replaced with "Award Winning", Radio and TV "News Readers." These Media Icons now put out any story first without checking the particulars. Being on Television and seeking a million dollar contract and a star on their head is more important now? Consequently, TV & Radio News Readers replaced the more competent genuine journalists who did not have the looks to be on TV every day.

Nowadays, you can see them at National Press Club lifting a beer or toasting Zinfandel as they decide what they will report on TV for 15 seconds on a politician, proposed law or shocking scandal. The Dan Rather caliber of journalism took over, a Hurricane Reporter chosen for chatting in the rain. Soon using taunts with political leaders making themselves the story instead doing their jobs to report the story became the babble and norm we see today!

In Russia and Europe, strippers are now hired to strip on TV as they read the news! This is so News Broadcasts can try and hold onto ratings. In America, stories today are 60-second advertisements for shows later shown on TV for entertainment, but they still call themselves "Award Winning Journalists?"

As the book points out, the Gilded Age of American Journalism is gone as Scotty Reston passed away with a Dan Rather 60 second salute on Television. Fortunately, this book shows us in great length the skills and knowledge required to become a true "Award Winning Journalists," by revealing the life of Scotty Reston. And I know Scotty would prefer it no other way!

A first-rate Hardback written by a great journalist in John Stacks to honor his colleague by seeking the truth in the story of Scotty Reston life, innovations, mistakes and glory and not rushing it to print so he could have his name on Television at News at 11 by a local "Award Winning Journalists?"

Rating:
Summary: Told by a Reporter' Reporter
Review: As author John Stacks has long been one of my personal heroes, I was delighted to discover this marvelously told biography. For all those who finished Gay Talese's The Kingdom and the Power and wanted more-and who didn't-Scotty is the perfect tonic. As most biographies written by real journalists, instead of officious professors or other biographical dilitantes-and there are plenty of retired stock brokers out there pretenging to be writers-the power of this book is in the feel for anecdotes, the natural flow of the story and the strong simple prose. Best of all is the first few pages where Stacks sums up the reporting profession in a way not seen since Thomas Wolfe's description of the pack outside of a fire in "You Can't Go Home Again." Those few pages alone are worth double the modest purchase price. Most delightfully, I discovered in print, something Mr. Stacks had told me years ago, when as young wannabe reporter I stumbled into his office to seek his sage counsel. He told he then that for every page I wrote, I should read 100. That stuck in my memory and became something I have repeated hundreds of times, sometimes with credit to Stacks, sometimes without. Imagine my excitement at finding those very words of advice in this book. An excellent three day read.

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Summary: Engaging Account of How Political Reporting Changed
Review: This is an engaging biography about the foremost political journalist of his era. More than that, "Scotty" is a revealing chronicle of the transformation of journalism. Scotty Reston embodied the old school, "establishment" journalism of the pre-Vietnam/Watergate variety. His success was founded on incomparable access, born of a mutually trusting relationship with Washington movers and shakers. When Pres. Kennedy emerged from a verbal going-over from Krushchev at the Vienna summit, the first person he spoke with -- and bared his soul to -- was Scotty Reston, who, Kennedy knew, would be extremely judicious in reporting what he learned. Journalists like Reston were natural skeptics, but believed in the essential truth of what government officials told them. White House entreaties persuaded Reston and his colleagues to hold a news-story exposing the planned Bay of Pigs invasion a few days before it was launched. It's hard to imagine journalists today making the same decision.

Vietnam and Watergate opened up a wide chasm between journalists and Washington insiders. Natural skepticism hardened into cynicism and the investigative journalism ethos was born. Reston -- despite his many well-earned laurels and impeccable reputation -- failed to keep up. Vacationing at the time on Martha's Vineyard, Reston was the first New York Times reporter to file a report on the Ted Kennedy Chappaquiddick fiasco. His lead: "Tragedy has again struck the Kennedy family." Mary Jo Kopechne was not mentioned until the fourth paragraph. Reston saw the event through the prism of its impact on the powerful, and ultimately dismissed the episode as a one-day story. It took another younger, more aggressive Times reporter to uncover the truth of the tragedy, and Kennedy's reprehensible conduct that night. Similarly, his too-cozy relationship with Henry Kissinger blinded Reston to the truth about Kissinger's role in the 1972 Christmas bombing of North Vietnam.

I do not mean to be negative about Reston. He was clearly the most accomplished journalist of his (or perhaps any) era, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner whose superb reporting routinely broke major news-stories. As broadcast media multiplied, Reston also pioneered a new role for print journalism: explaining why events occurred, not merely reporting what happened. But so much of this book is focused on what the subtitle calls "the rise and fall of American journalism."

Readers will also be fascinated by the internecine warfare between New York and the Washington bureau, and especially, the titanic power struggles between Reston and Abe Rosenthal, which resulted in Reston's abbreviated, 13-month reign as Executive Editor. Also notable is the long line of legendary names that Reston mentored -- Halberstam, Wicker, Anthony Lewis, Max Frankel, etc.

"Scotty" is a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in the intersection of journalism and politics.