Mattdp

Hey Hari,

Thanks for doing this.

I think you've been a great addition to the NewsHour staff in the past year. Very much in the tradition. I also love the way you all have been embracing new media tools while staying true to your mission. A real example for other institutions.

I wonder how you see the media landscape playing out in the next few years. Are more or less people coming to the NewsHour? Is there hope for news sources that allow people to disagree w/o being disagreeable? How about for newscasters like the staff of the NewsHour, who let their show be about the news and not about the people who tell it?

In other words, years hence will we look back at the NewsHour today as a defunct sign of how the news should be reported, or as the first beacon in a new adult conversation?

Frankly, as long as you guys remain true to form, I have no doubt that I'll keep coming back.

I will come in different ways, tho', so it's important that you continue to adapt.

2 years ago I was a nightly DVR-watcher. I'd fast forward thru maybe 15 minutes, but always seemed to have time for at least 45 minutes.

Today I have a son and more demanding career responsibilities, so while I've still got you on record, it's more and more of a rare treat for me to able to sit and watch.

But I'm still getting plenty of NewsHour content. I subscribe to the Twitter feed so that keeps me up thru' the day. And I read the morning politics line in my email inbox.

Frankly it's usually content that I also see out of the corner of my eye on other sources. But I trust when it comes from the NewsHour, b/c I trust Jim Lehrer, Ray Suarez, Gwen Ifel and everyone else. So I'm willing to read or watch NewsHour content over, say, the Times, b/c I don't feel like I have to worry with you about getting an ideological or sensationalist slant. I know I need an information filter, like you say. I want one that I can trust is filtering with as good and as fair-minded an eye as possible. Which is why I prefer the NewsHour to everyone else.

So you've got me.

But I'm not enuf. So I'm worried: how many other people do you guys have? Does the future look secure, or scary?