The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on subtle but seismic shifts in the news foundation:
"'Television news is changing,' says Alex Jones, director of the Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School. 'In the last several years, we've moved into a situation where the evening news has a smaller audience and an aging audience.'
"Jennings was the last of the troika - with Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather - who sat in the imperial anchor chair for more than 20 years. But their position of authority was steadily eroded by the growing influence of 24-hour cable news channels such as CNN and Fox News.
"The evening anchor slot is paramount, even if it isn't the prestigious gig it once was.
"'It's easily imaginable that people will be offered that job and turn it down,' says Jones. 'I'm sure they're looking for someone who would give the position respect and would be admired. But I think if they had to choose between that and someone who would bring higher ratings, they would choose higher ratings. If they could get Jon Stewart, I think they probably would.'"
