His booming voice brought the world to my living room as I watched history unfold.

The Berlin Wall fell.  Timothy McVeigh bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City.  A court of law declared O.J. Simpson not guilty.  President Clinton escaped impeachment in the Monica Lewinsky scandal.  Princess Diana left behind a legacy unmatched by other public figures and on September 11, 2001 terrorists attacked our country. These headlines wrote the story that defined my childhood, a story told by Tom Brokaw. 

Along with Peter Jennings and Dan Rather, Brokaw’s reporting marked an era of news anchor stardom, an era in which the value of news was measured by whether or not Brokaw and his contemporaries covered it.  Brokaw was a household name and a familiar face people counted on. 

Brokaw’s career as news anchor for NBC Nightly News began before I was born and concluded when I was a sophomore in college.  When Brokaw retired from NBC Nightly News in 2004, I knew the final chapter of my childhood had been written.

Now 27 and a reporter for a newspaper, I watch journalism continually evolve and can’t help but wonder what it will look like in the future.  Old-school journalism with reporting by such credible figures as Tom Brokaw is a thing of the past.

In his book, “The Time of Our Lives”, released on Nov. 1, Brokaw speaks to changes facing journalism, saying, “Information is moving too swiftly and emanating from too many directions and sources for a citizen to be well informed as just a casual observer.  Moreover, there are cleverly designed sites and commentaries that give the impression of journalism when in fact they’re little more than propaganda forums or commercial product forums.”

Last Tuesday I traveled with the Pell City Kiwanis Club to hear Tom Brokaw speak at the Harbert Center in downtown Birmingham.  As I sat in awe, the childhood hero, one of the most credible faces in the news industry reminded me that journalism wasn’t disappearing but the game was changing.

“When I started out, there were two networks. We didn’t have to worry about competition,” Brokaw said. “Now we have the world at our finger tips.  We have to be more vigilant as news consumers.”

The role of the consumer has shifted from being a passive participant in media to actively seeking out news that is credible,

“We have to be the last guardians of free speech,” Brokaw said.

I agree with Brokaw, the media consumer should actively discern between truthful content and false information, but I also believe journalists still have jobs to do.   Journalists must now work harder than ever before to prove themselves as credible, trustworthy sources of information in the midst of chaos.  If consumers get the privilege of selecting content, reporters need to produce journalism worth choosing.  As a reporter I should aspire to the same caliber of journalistic standards I held Tom Brokaw to when I was growing up.

Note: I would like to express my appreciation to the Pell City Kiwanis Club and my editor, Michael, for giving me the opportunity to meet Mr. Brokaw and hear him speak.  Thanks to Mr. Brokaw for being an inspiration and helping me fulfill a childhood dream.