I'm sure that many Americans would like to thank Stone Phillips for his nice smile and little up-and-down bounce that we all love. Or maybe the To Catch a Predator guy for his hard-hitting pedophile journalism.
I hope Llama-Moyers doesn't eat my thank-you note.
edited by Rachel Bock
I guess my guy isn't so glamorous. But he is a legend, so I would like to take these 200-some words to give a small homage to my journalism hero, Bill Moyers.
I first discovered him by accident. A friend of mine forwarded me a link to his speech about media reform nearly a year ago. You've got to watch this, he said.
Boy oh boy, I thought. I let it sit in my mailbox for a few weeks until finally, one lazy Sunday, I decided to give it a chance. And I'm really glad I did.
What's a-miss, he said in his southern accent, at a time when America is socially divided? When inequality and poverty grow steadily? When young people without privilege and wealth struggle to get a footing? When we're racially divided in every sense except in the letter of the law?
Make no mistake, he said. The media- the foundation of our democracy, the fourth estate- are under attack.
Soon after I saw the speech, I began tuning in to his special on PBS once a week. And I love it, love it, love everything about it.
So, Dear Mr. Bill Moyers, my hero who makes many people believe in great, deep-thinking journalism,
My hat is off to you, and I want to say thank you. I'll keep this short, and since I don't know how to do it without being cheesy, I won't even try.
Thank you for making us think.
Thank you for being courageous, for discussing issues that others fear to talk about.
Thank you for framing your stories in complex historical contexts, for interviewing top experts, for asking tough questions. (In other words, thank you for holding my attention for more than five minutes, and thank you for not wasting my time with fluff.)
Thank you for being a great story teller.
Thank you for understanding the true calling of a journalist.
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