'A license to observe and share'

 

“Ajournalist enjoys a privileged position. In exchange for not being able toparticipate in the rough-and-tumble issues of a community, we are given licenseto observe it all, based on the understanding that we'll tell everyone whathappens fairly and squarely. That's harder than it sounds.” – BillKurtis
Ifyou’re a fan of NPR's  “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” then you know that BillKurtis’s voice is one of the most recognizable on the air.  There, he is the announcer and scorekeeper(yes, they really have a scorekeeper) on the show.

The longtime broadcaster at WBBM-TV in Chicago, where he anchored “CBS Morning News,”  Kurtis also was the host of a number of the A&ENetwork’s crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports,American Justice, and Cold Case Files.  Born in Florida on this date in 1940, Kurtisbegan broadcasting at age 16 and continued doing it part-time while working hisway through college and then law school in Kansas.  After finishing his law degree he wasweighing options in the legal field while working part time at a Topekastation when one of the nation’s biggest storms struck the region.  He ended up on air for 24 straight hours, an effort lauded across the nation and leading to an offer from WBBM where he spent 30 years at the CBS affiliate beforegoing to CBS nationally.
Whilemany are lamenting that today’s youth seem ambivalent about journalism, he said he believes young people are looking for answers tothe big questions and there's a bright opportunity ahead in the news business. 
 “Think of it: television producersjoining with newspapers to tell stories. It's journalism of the future.”