When Tom Brokaw finally signed off on election night, it was, in effect, the veteran NBC anchor’s last hurrah. The 64 year old, who has anchored the “Nightly News” for more than two decades, officially steps down Dec. 1.
Unlike Dan Rather, or other mass communication-mass culture notables, Brokaw didn’t linger past his prime. He never trafficked in the shout-a-thons and gotcha gestalt that characterize so much of news “analysis.” He leaves a network that continues to lead in the evening news ratings race.
Say what you will about America’s sensationalistic news culture, including its celebrity- anchor cult, but Tom Brokaw never made the news. Except when he called it a career.