R.I.P. ABC News?

The story broke Monday night --the one about David Westin resigning as head of ABC News. On Wednesday -- in the New York Times article linked to this post's title -- former CBS News President Andrew Heyward suggested one approach post Westin: re-invent ABC News as nothing but a video file sharing social network. As Heyward put it: "(it's) a real opportunity to not be beholden to the traditions of television news...."

Excuse me Mr. Heyward???? I've spent a day thinking about what you said. And since when do the "traditions" of TV news -- many virtually invented by your former network's own Edward R. Murrow--belong in the dumpster of history? Innovate, yes. We've always been about innovation. Grow and even mutate some. Fine. No one wants to watch or, for that matter, work in a profession that's encased in an iceberg. But dump all the great traditions of broadcast news? Isn't that exactly the problem right now?

Sure, it's wonderful to have a story so powerful that it's shared among all sorts of viewers. But what everyone who sees the network and local station news divisions simply as a profit center seems to forget is this little thing called democracy. You know -- the form of government we're supposed to have here and have so zealously exported to much of the rest of the world? Like Iran, Afghanistan, the formerly Communist countries?

How's this for an innovative idea: news divisions which are not run as profit centers. News divisions which are simply the best sources of necessary information they can be, using the best production values they can find. Call it a full circle; Bill Paley, Mr. Heyward, was proud to let the entertainment arm of CBS make the money. He could boast about his great news division. And not force it to earn a penny. Don't you think perhaps our rudderless nation could use another Walter Cronkite? And remember -- he was Managing Editor of The CBS Evening News first, anchor second.

Without a free and intelligent press there can't be much democracy. People need to know things they may not voluntarily click on and share. That used to be the role of the newspapers' front page and the networks' evening newscasts. Was it and is it elitist to "edit" news so that even in headline form -- people are force-fed at least some of the important information they need to make reasonable decisions about their own lives and the future of their state and country?

If Disney decides ABC News is nothing but a profit center with no higher calling, then it could, indeed, become nothing but a video news service. Just a feed like that all networks send out to their affiliate stations. A bunch of stories in no particular order -- ready for local producers to use if needed.

Enter Paris Hilton. Exit truth, freedom, democracy, intelligence. Not laughing.