or maybe not . whatever anyone think of broadcast news and good or bad and almost all the credit for that think belongs to writer producer director james l. brooks . a a screenwriter ( of which he have long be one of the best ) and it be not easy to savage an entire business in this case and the business be television news but to do it with a smile and a wink and a knowing nod and a laugh practically every step of the way . to do all that take real talent and something mr. j. brook have in abundance . one user on this website and in his summary and ask the musical question do walter cronkite act like this . answerve represent no . of course not . and the reason for that be in walter uh and mr. cronkite day and the only thing that matter be bring the news to the people . same go for john chancellor and chet and david and douglas edward and howard k. smith . sure and they have to pay lip service attention to their rating and if only to please their boss . but all they really care about be the news itself . now and of course and all that have change . for the last 25 30 year in the network news business and the only thing that have really matter be rating and rating and rating . the bottom line . how many buck will our news division deliver for the network . don not believe that . let consider the big three represent tom brokaw and dan rather and peter jennings ( aka stanley stun ) . all three have now be on the job at their respective anchor desk for the last 15 20 year ( peter actually get his first shot at the national anchor desk way back in the 1960s but be totally unprepared for the job ) . of the three and dan be the one with the great in the field training a a reporter . personally and i think all three do terrific job a news anchor and be deserve of their position . all of which have nothing to do with why all three be actually in those job . all three be now in their 60 ( dan be push the big 7 0 ) and all three be still very good look . and if you think theyre still good look now and imagine how good look they be in their 40 and when all three be hire for ( let say and put in ) their current job . but do you honestly believe that any one of these three would have be put in have he look like and let say and fred gwynne ( herman munster ) . or like heaven forfend me . not only that and if dan be retire tomorrow and a young ( than he be today ) walter cronkite would not be able to get his old job back . why . not pretty enough . and it would matter not a whit that he be and or once be and the most trusted man in america . and this be what broadcast news be all about . tom grunnick ( william hurt ) and the next pretty boy national news anchor to be who have trouble with a few minor thing and such a think for himself and be able to write and know stuff . jane craig ( holly hunter ) and the brilliant news producer with news business standard and ethic and all of which get throw to the wind when even she fall for pretty boy tom . and aaron altman ( albert brook and no relation to jam l. ) and a top notch newswriter and field reporter who have no hope for a national job because he flop sweat behind the anchor desk . and many other such flaw character whom you know really do exist in the news division of the various network . network blaze the trail . eleven year later and broadcast news carry the torch a a worthy successor . in the new millennium and what will be the next movie to savage the business of network news you can use . maybe . or maybe not .