In Memory- Peter Jennings

(CNN)

Everyone is calling it the end of an era. This past year saw Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather retire from their network Evening News posts. Yesterday the third of those Big Three died of lung cancer. Each of the three had their own individual strengths and things they were best known for. But for me Peter Jennings was the calmest and most soothing of the voices during 9/11. I can't remember any specifics. But I do remember taking my news surfing breaks on ABC because Jennings led the pack in keeping things from sounding too hysterical. That in itself is quite a legacy.

But these past months have seen the outward signs of a major shift in Evening News. The names and faces we came to know so clearly in our living rooms are leaving. News reporting and TV news coverage has changed. Just as TV news itself was a revolutionary shift 50 some years ago, so has the Cable, 24-hour news, and the Internet brought a significant shift. News is seen differently now. News is no longer packaged the same way. It has niches and audiences. The styles vary depending on ratings, politics, and personality. We don't believe everything we read anymore, but we tend to believe too much fringe stuff too easily.

News has never been "impartial" and news outlets have always been in the center of political controversies. Our day is no different and perhaps it is, in reality, a move away from the "trusted anchorman" to the reporter or venue that agrees with me.

In any case, we pause tonight to remember Peter Jennings. Trusted, calm, reporter, and a person of integrity.