3/6/2009

in

When Brian Williams airs the first segment of his "Random Acts of Kindness" series tonight, he won't just be following a recent trend set by his contemporaries in cable television. He'll be upholding a long tradition dating back to the Cold War.

John Winn

It's odd to think of journalists--especially broadcast journalists--as optimists. Giving their job occupation, they are used to seeing the worst that humanity has to offer--wars, poverty, indifference to human suffering--and bearing witness to humankind's inhumanity before the public on a daily basis. No wonder many of them grow cynical, or comfort their sorrows each night with booze, prostitutes, or whatever gets them through the night. And in this tough economic recession--when even staff writers are finding themselves out of a job--the temptation to become even more cynical in one's coverage of the news is even more palpable. That makes William's decision to highlight the kindnesses of strangers more remarkable.  
  
But he isn't doing it in a vacuum. Even as his show prepares to go on the air in less than two hours, many are comparing it to a similar segment on CNN. Since it's inception in 2007, the *CNN Heroes* program has grown into a big brand for the network, and most of the credit for that goes to anchor Anderson Cooper. But the truth is, the tradition of sandwiching upbeat news stories have been around since--well, since the advent of radio.  
  
Case in point: The late Paul Harvey. Despite having a reputation among liberal activists as the Rush Limbaugh of the 1950s and '60s, Harvey rode a crest of success during his 40-year long career, airing not only ancedotes and commentary, but also what many in the industry would refer to today as "human interest" stories. Frequently, many of these had a humorous bent--even if they may not have been true. For what it's worth. Yet they were part of a successful formula that kept him on the air on over 1,200 stations in the U.S. and around the world, including the Armed Forces radio.  
  
Some, okay a lot of people, would call these stories nothing more than filler. Yet during a fifty year period between the 1950s and up to the present, they gave comfort to many through four major wars, three assassinations, and terrorist attacks. And that's not including booms and busts--of which there were several, though none as deep as the Great Depression, or even the current economic crisis. It wasn't just a calculated financial decision. It was part and parcel of Harvey's moral character.  
  
So as Brian Williams delivers the good news tonight, keep in mind Paul Harvey. This isn't merely a recent trend, or an attempt by journalists to assuage their tortured consciences. It is a long tradition in America--as traditional as Apple Pie. As the outpouring of emails in Williams's inbox demonstrates, optimism isn't merely being cute. It is also a badly needed salve in a country whose soul is adrift.