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A Retrospective: 28 Media Leaders Who Died This Decade

The Aughts
» 7 comments

2008

william_buckley_01


Who: William Buckley
Major Accomplishment: William Buckley was the popular host of one of television’s longest-running programs, “Firing Line,” and founded and shepherded the influential conservative magazine National Review. The more than 4.5 million words of his 5,600 twice-weekly newspaper columns, “On the Right,” would fill 45 more medium-sized books. His collected papers, which were donated to Yale University, weigh seven tons.
Legacy: “All great biblical stories begin with Genesis,” George Will wrote in National Review in 1980. “And before there was Ronald Reagan, there was Barry Goldwater, and before there was Barry Goldwater there was National Review, and before there was National Review there was Bill Buckley with a spark in his mind.”

charlton-heston


Who: Charlton Heston
Major Accomplishment: He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1966 to 1971. A registered Democrat for many years, he was nevertheless selective in the candidates he chose to support and often campaigned for conservatives. Again and again, he proved himself a cogent and effective speaker, but he rejected suggestions that he run for office. “I’d rather play a senator than be one,” he said.
Legacy: In 1997, he was elected vice president of the N.R.A. In December of that year, as the keynote speaker at the 20th anniversary gala of the Free Congress Foundation, Heston described “a cultural war” raging across America, “storming our values, assaulting our freedoms, killing our self-confidence in who we are and what we believe.”

tim russert


Who: Tim Russert
Major Accomplishment: “Meet the Press,” the top-rated public affairs program on television, is viewed by nearly four million people each Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research. As word of Russert’s death spread across BlackBerry and computer screens, tributes poured into NBC from the highest elected officials and competitors on other networks.
Legacy: “He really was the best political journalist in America, not just the best television journalist in America,” said Al Hunt, the Washington executive editor of Bloomberg News.

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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.

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