NJN must be saved

BY ALAN J. STEINBERG

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

COMMENTARY

Let me emphasize at the outset that I fully support Governor Chris Christie's proposal to end the $11 million subsidy of NJN and transfer its operations, licenses and equipment to a non-governmental entity, such as an independent, not-for-profit corporation. The state of New Jersey should not be in the business of owning and operating a television or radio station. Furthermore, the state can no longer afford it.

It must be a top New Jersey priority, however, to save NJN, preferably through private philanthropic efforts. The demise of NJN would result in irreparable harm to media coverage of New Jersey government and politics — a veritable journalistic tragedy.

If NJN were to cease to exist, there would still be ample newspaper and Internet New Jersey news reportage. Yet there must be significant and meaningful television news coverage of New Jersey politics and government for Garden State citizens to be fully and properly informed. This will not exist if NJN is allowed to die.

To be sure, both News 12 New Jersey and WWOR-TV Channel 9 provide high quality programs on New Jersey politics. I have been most fortunate to be a guest on numerous occasions on New Jersey Power and Politics. The hosts of this show, Jim McQueeny and the now departed Laura Jones are outstanding journalists who have done a superb job of focussing in depth on key issues and personalities affecting New Jersey quality of life. Similarly, Brenda Blackmon has hosted many fine discussions on the show, New Jersey Now on WWOR-TV Channel 9.

Yet in terms of nightly news coverage, only NJN News provides in depth reporting on New Jersey governmental and political issues. No other station comes close.

For example, on WNBC-TV Channel 4 New York, Brian Thompson is a reporter of the highest quality, probably the finest journalist on any of New York City's national network stations. His news reports on New Jersey government and politics are always most incisive and excellently focused. In fact, Brian is such an outstanding journalist that he should be the prime time 6:30 p.m. anchor on one of the national network news programs. Yet on WNBC-TV, Brian must comply with strict limits in terms of air time. He must also cover New Jersey news events outside of governmental and political matters, thereby further limiting the time he may devote to these latter issues.

If you watch nightly news on News 12 New Jersey or WWOR-TV, you will see very limited coverage of New Jersey government and politics. On these broadcasts, most of the New Jersey reporting consists of criminal events, fires, or serious vehicular accidents.

Only NJN nightly news provides continuous in-depth coverage of the most important governmental and political issues affecting life in the Garden State. Most remarkably, NJN has been blessed with many top calibre journalists.

When one speaks of political journalism at NJN, you begin with Michael Aron. He is a unique combination of the best attributes of Walter Cronkite and Eric Sevareid. I have literally never seen Michael give a bad performance, either on the nightly news or on the talk shows he hosts, On the Record and Reporters' Roundtable. His classic book, Governor's Race, covering the 1993 Florio-Whitman contest, is a must-read for any reporter covering New Jersey elections. Michael is truly an historic figure in the annals of New Jersey journalism.

For many years, Kent Manahan was the anchor par excellence of New Jersey nightly news. Most NJN viewers, including myself, felt that she was irreplaceable. Yet her successor, Jim Hooker has done a superb job. Indeed, his performance as NJN nightly news anchor has been yet another milestone in his outstanding career in both print and television media. In New Jersey, the name Jim Hooker is synonymous with top quality and high credibility journalism.

The other NJN journalists, night after night, provide excellent in depth coverage of New Jersey political issues and other significant Garden State matters. Marie Denoia Aronsohn is both a superb reporter and an excellent program journalist and anchor. Jerry Henry possesses a rare blend of journalistic experience and intelligence that has enabled him to provide outstanding reporting of both feature stories and sports events. Sara Lee Kessler's reports on health are true Garden State gems. As a former New Jersey Meadowlands Executive Director and Region 2 EPA Administrator, I can attest to the fact that Ed Rodgers is one of the finest environmental reporters in the New York metropolitan area. Adrienne Supino is a highly competent young journalist with a most bright future.

The budding superstar of NJN is Zachary Fink. He is both an outstanding investigative reporter of Pulitzer Prize quality and a brilliant political commentator, with unquestioned fairness and without bias. If NJN folds, he will doubtless become a star of one of the major three national networks' Sunday talk shows. Quite frankly, I would be thrilled if he replaced Christiane Amanpour, the highly left-wing biased anchor of ABC's This Week. At the same time, I would be most regretful, since the departure of Zach Fink would be a terrible blow to New Jersey journalism.

Finally, NJN's coverage of New Jersey election nights is unmatched by any other station or network. Indeed, NJN's election night coverage of gubernatorial races is the Super Bowl of New Jersey political journalism. If NJN goes dark, I do not expect any other television network or station to step up to the plate and provide election night coverage of comparable quality.

The taxpayers of New Jersey cannot afford to continue to subsidize NJN. At the same time, NJN is an irreplaceable institution in terms of the education of the citizenry of New Jersey on vital issues affecting the quality of life in our state. Saving NJN must be a matter of high urgency in New Jersey.

Alan J. Steinberg served as Regional Administrator of Region 2 EPA during the administration of former President George W. Bush. Region 2 EPA consists of the states of New York and New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and seven federally recognized Indian nations. He also served as Executive Director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission under former Governor Christie Whitman.