Chris Matthews: Street
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Gail Shister wrote an interesting profile of Chris Matthews yesterday.
The Washington-based newsman says he earns “street cred” by standing up during his syndicated weekly show. (We’re down wich you, homes.)
Matthews also gives his opinion of Brian Williams (‘He’s more than met the challenge.”) and offers some praise for Fox News Channel.
Top-rated FNC’s lineup “has a nice zest to it. You can almost hear the old news ticker. There’s a sense of immediacy and significance when they present the news. I think they do it very well.”
Although Matthews is tops at MSNBC, might he be subtly pitching his brand of journalism to cable’s reigning ratings champ? It wouldn’t be such an odd partnership:
“You have to sell it. You have to present it with more gusto, more zest. You have to let viewers know, ‘This is important.’ You don’t just report every story like it’s a weather forecast.”
To Matthews, that means more passion (“true passion, not acting”), more spontaneity, more body language. Snazzier graphics. No anchor desk…
The right personality can take the same copy and graphics, and deliver news with a compelling voice and presentation that make you feel ‘I’d better damn listen.’ ”
Matthews’ decibel setting “is somewhere between gusto and very curious.”
Very FOX-y indeed.
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Nadine Cheung
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