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A Retrospective: 28 Media Leaders Who Died This Decade

The Aughts

by Danny Groner | 12:52 pm, December 4th, 2009

» 7 comments

2005

Who: Johnny Carson
Major Accomplishment: In his heyday he generated approximately 17 percent of the network’s total profit and was, by any reasonable assessment, its most lustrous star since Toscanini. He held an overwhelming majority of late-night viewers in the palm of his hand, and his show was the biggest single money-maker in television history.
Legacy: “Anyone looking at the show 100 years from now,” said Tom Shales, the Washington Post television critic in 1992, “will probably have no trouble understanding what made Carson so widely popular and permitted him such longevity. He was affable, accessible, charming and amusing, not just a very funny comedian but the kind of guy you would gladly welcome into your home.”

miller

Who: Arthur Miller
Major Accomplishment: Sentimental or not, “Death of a Salesman” stunned audiences. The Times drama critic Brooks Atkinson called it “a rare event in the theater,” and “a suburban epic that may not be intended as poetry but becomes poetry in spite of itself.”
Legacy: The Broadway producer Robert Whitehead, who worked frequently with Miller, said in reminiscing about their work together that he found a “rabbinical righteousness” in the playwright. “In his work, there is almost a conscious need to be a light unto the world,” he said, adding, “He spent his life seeking answers to what he saw around him as a world of injustice.”

jennings

Who: Peter Jennings
Major Accomplishment: For more than two decades, the magnitude of a news event could be measured, at least in part, by whether Jennings and his counterparts on the other two networks showed up on the scene.
Legacy: “He was a man who came into the anchor chair absolutely prepared to do the job, from years and years of reporting in the field, which is precious and not easily duplicated,” said Tom Bettag, an executive producer of “Nightline.” “He established a level of trust with the viewer that would be difficult for anyone else to match going forward.”

>>>NEXT: TV lost a legend in 2006…

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ImNotBlue

No Farrah Fawcett? She was a media icon! That poster alone was a huge deal!

But perhaps more confusing, no Michael Jackson?

Sure we’re all sick of hearing about the coverage… but come on, if ever there was a media star, he was it. From the birth of the music video, to the television commercials, to the movies, to the wacky stuff in the later years… not to mention the music… MJ was all things media! I think he deserves to be on the list, for sure.
Jim R

Well done, Danny, a significant list indeed.
Rel E Vant

What, no Ed Bradley?

Guess it only matters if we lose white “media leaders,” huh?

And for the record, including Kate Hepburn, Bob Hope, William Hanna and Johnny Carson is totally stretching the “media” designation beyond all recognition.
ClarkKent_DC

These are “the figures who helped define, shape and set the standards in their industries” — but there’s no mention of John H. Johnson, founder of Ebony magazine? Carl T. Rowan, public servant, author and columnist? Ed Bradley, “60 Minutes” correspondent? August Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright? Not even Richard Pryor or Michael Jackson?
wdawkins

Thank you for updating the list.

Do understand that the criticism of the lack of diversity this morning was not a matter special pleading, but was based on merit. The gaping omissions spoke to credibility and authenticity of the list.

Regarding the additions, Chisholm did not win a primary, but she changed the California winner-take-all primary system in 1972.

Johnson’s Ebony/Jet had iconic journalistic moments and products: The Emmett Till casket photo in 1955, the photo of widow Coretta Scott King in 1968 and the seminal book “Before the Mayflower” by editor and popular historian Lerone Bennett Jr.
asamuels

Why is the original list still available to be found on this site without having the mea culpa added to it? Also, your description of John Johnson is unacceptable.To state that the only reason why Ebony and Jet magazines were remarkable is because of race-specific advertising is missing the point in its entirety. The Johnson magazine empire is legendary because Johnson dared do – and succeeded – where others could not. Black folks were being lynched for being able to read and write and Johnson still decided to start a magazine that uplifted black folk.

Johnson was friends with presidents. He created America’s first black magazine amidst a most dangerous time. He gave opportunity to black journalists when whites were too racist to be bothered with us. I don’t know who wrote up this description, but a simple Google search would have turned up quite a bit more. You could also have read his bio or gone to the Web site. He was not legendary because of advertising alone. He’s legendary because he put black people on magazine covers. He told the stories of black people. He helped to cement our perceptions of black beauty. Most importantly though, for the first three decades, he told our stories when no one else would.

He’s legendary because he started something big and it stuck.
Gdub

So by adding five African-Americans of note to the end of this list, we should be pleased? Are you serious? And what about other people “of color?” This was handled very, very poorly, all-around.