"...This Just In...I Am Outta Here..."

Forty three years.

That's how long it's been since I was part of Mary Kiern's journalism class at East Jefferson High School in Metairie, Louisiana.

And even after forty three years, I still remember not only her name and what she looked like but, more poignantly, two of her basic teachings.

Good reporting boils down to "who, what, when, where and why"

And less is always more.

I thought of "Proud Mary" today as I read this piece.


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Journalist Kathleen Parker is leaving CNN talk show "Parker Spitzer," and the prime-time program will be revamped with former New York governor Eliot Spitzer remaining, alongside others, CNN said on Friday.


CNN said Parker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist was leaving to focus on her writing. The "Parker Spitzer" talk show debuted in October to disappointing ratings, and critics said the pair lacked chemistry as a duo.


Spitzer has sometimes been appearing solo in recent weeks, chairing a more hard news-oriented show about politics and the upheavals in Arab states.


"We have been pleased with how the 8 p.m. hour has become a centerpiece of substantive, policy-oriented conversation, and we are looking forward to building on that with this new format, " CNN executive vice president Ken Jautz said in a statement.


Jautz said the new program would be called "In the Arena" and it will adopt an ensemble format with several newsmakers, guests and contributors joining Spitzer each night. On a regular basis, Spitzer will co-host the show alongside news anchor E.D. Hill and conservative columnist Will Cain.

Bet the farm had I turned this in, lo those four decades ago, PM would have had me re-read it a couple of times, ponder my work and then do a re-write with her admonitions fresh in front of me.

Who, what, when, where and why.

Less is always more.

Chances are the re-write would have read something like this...

Journalist Kathleen Parker is leaving the CNN talk show "Parker Spritzer" to focus on her writing. She apparently realized that the program is only moderately more entertaining than watching paint dry.

Mrs. Kiern, most likely, would have read the re-write and offered that the last sentence was both the inclusion of a personal opinion and unnecessary as it answered the "why" that had already been addressed in the first sentence.

To wit, she would have red penciled it.

Mary was sharp, though.

She would have red penciled it.

But she would have agreed with me.