Quote:
Originally posted by SoTrue1920:
but Bryant is a journalist. He's not an editorial columnist like Malveaux (who is one of my sheroes), nor is he a public intellectual like Gates or West. His job is to present as unbiased a representation of the news as is possible in his profession. When he does his sports show, he's able to give a little more editorial commentary, but people expect that from sportscasters, not from their newscasters. However, he chose to editorialize at a private function, and that is within his right. I don't think he was overstepping the bounds of his profession in that capacity because he wasn't acting as Bryant Gumbel: Employee of CBS.
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I agree with you completely Soror SoTrue1920! That's why I would call his commentary "unqualified" as provided in the initial email. I have no clue from where he gets his ideas. If I listened and he brought something to the table that was thought-provoking (not that I would necessarily agree with him...Ward Connerly is thought-provoking, yet I agree with very little of what he says) and had some basis in historical fact/foundation, I would listen to him. Clearly, the original quote was taken out of context, so he may have laid a sound foundation during his speech prior to the "Ebony" quote that supported his statement. That's why I can only argue the merits of the statement based upon what was presented above!
IotaNet: I have not been a "Bryant" watcher...that's why his opinions are unqualified to me, as would be Bernie Shaw's, Al Roker's and Ed Bradley's. Maybe I will now tune in more often when he airs his personal views, since it does seem he has a track record to given them in differing venues. I didn't have any clue about his marriage. I truly knew nothing about the man except that I'd heard that he and Greg Gumbel had treated their mother less than "motherly".
You are correct that there are some "black folks" that will not give you a hearing if you do not fit the prescribed notions of a "down brother/sister"--that is unfortunate and short-sighted. There are many "black folks" who bring interesting views to the table yet don't bring the requisite "look, background or pedigree" and as such their opinions are ignored or minimized in the community as a whole. This of course is the start of a second issue I won’t begin here.