Larry King’s lessons for today’s media
On one of the final episodes of Larry King Live, comedian Jon Stewart congratulated Larry King for leaving CNN. “you made the right choice. you’re the last guy out of a burning building.”
It was a joke, but also telling of the direction of mainstream media. The credibility of journalists has eroded dramatically since King’s 25-year run on cable news came to an end in 2010. In fact, for the first time ever, the majority of Americans don’t trust traditional media, according to the most recent edelman Trust Barometer.
For millennials like me, Stewart’s appearance on Larry King Live and other online highlights make up King’s legacy. We didn’t watch much of the Brooklyn native while he was on television. By the time most of us became interested in politics, King was leaving the news business. But the conversation between King and Stewart has been particularly influential. It ranks as a very popular youtube video and, in retrospect, showed that both men were far ahead of the curve in identifying some of the key political issues we’re discussing today.
Back in 2010, few could have predicted how polarizing American politics would become. But King and Stewart were concerned about polarization back then. King pressed Stewart to share the motivation behind a rally that he and Stephen Colbert organized in Washington, d.c. Stewart explained, “Seventy-five to eight-five per cent of the country are reasonable people who get along. They may not agree on things, but can do things ... And the other 15 per cent control (the country), the dialogue, the legislation.”
Their exchange could have taken place a decade later and been equally relevant. Today, the united States is presented as a country divided over identity and ideology. divisive politicians and journalists advance this narrative, pointing to fringe extremists as evidence that the “other side” of the political aisle is irredeemable. But this narrative depends on downplaying the reality that the majority of Americans agree on very important policies, such as financial aid for small businesses and stimulus checks for families. unfortunately, the most popular ideas receive limited attention.
King also asked Stewart about early examples of cancel culture (the term wasn’t in vogue at the time). CNN had just fired on-air personality rick Sanchez for calling Stewart a bigot. King asked, “Were you hurt by (Sanchez) calling you a bigot?” Stewart refused to attack Sanchez’s livelihood or encourage calls to “cancel” him. With a smirk, Stewart said, “no.”
It was a measured, considerate conversation.
The kind that we desperately need more of, in light of the latest firings at The New york Times and the Niskanen Center over misguided social media posts. King and Stewart recognized that Sanchez made bigoted comments of his own, but didn’t lose sight of the reality that Sanchez is a human being who needs to earn a living. They wrestled with how and why a person should be fired. Stewart also questioned CNN’S motives.
The clear-eyed discussion about early cancel culture is partly due to King’s healthy approach to engaging with Twitter. The social media app was relatively new while Larry King Live was on the air, but King did reference it on his show. Stewart found this use of Twitter to be unnecessary; asking why King would need to refer to Twitter when asking him a question. King replied, “We like to involve the audience. It’s a gimmick.” yes, a gimmick!
If only more people in the news business had maintained King’s perspective on social media. Journalists now see Twitter as a primary tool of communication, and where the standards of political correctness and journalistic ethics are decided. Author Bari Weiss put it masterfully when resigning from America’s supposed paper of record: “Twitter is not on the masthead of The New york Times. But Twitter has become its ultimate editor.” Certainly, the same can be said for many other publications that bow to Twitter mobs or erroneously use Twitter to gauge public opinions on important topics.
As a man who spent his career asking questions of others, Larry King’s own insights often went under the radar. News media companies facing uncertain times might benefit from reflecting on what made King a trusted voice for so many years. Their bottom lines might depend on it.