Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 3 December 2009 — Page 2

Page 2 • The Muncie Times • December 3, 2009

EDITORIAL Hard to imagine daytime TV without talk show queen, Oprah

With her announcement that she will quit her The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011, the queen of daytime TV is transforming what Americans (and, indeed, the rest of the world) watch. The Oprah niche will be hard to fill. Her audience is likely to be fragmented among the many pretenders who think they can fill her shoes. They are unlikely to succeed. Oprah has become a staple of daytime TV watching. She was a weekday presence in our living rooms. Some of her guests generated news stories that impacted the nation. Books that she endorsed became

best sellers. Last year, for the first time in her life, she entered the political arena by endorsing fellow Chicagoean Barack Hussein Obama in his ultimately successful campaign to become U.S. president. She campaigned for him and with him. Yet Oprah was not really a political figure. Her support came from across the board. Republicans, Democrats and independents watched her. So did liberals, moderates and conservatives. Intellectuals and the not-so-educated were also among her audiences. So were fellow African Americans, whites,

Hispanics, AsianAmericans and other groups. Her support cuts across racial, ethnic, gender and cultural divides. She has developed the uncanny ability to tap into issues that bother mainstream America, although she came from poor circumstances and was sexually abused when she was a young girl, Oprah grew up to become the kind of talk show host that various groups could find common cause around. Over time her show stood head and shoulders above competitors. She started off by sometimes dealing with black-oriented themes. Then she tried the

"tabloidy" approach. Then, she surprised her audiences and her competitors by taking am above-the-fray approach. Her show became even more successful when she embraced an approach that stressed hope and inspiration. She became the kind of host that women of all races, incomes and education could relate to. She talked and talks to them as one of them, the kind of person easy to confide in and share secrets. She shared with audiences her continuing weight problems. She connects with professionals by putting career ahead of marriage and motherhood. She has

never been preachy or whiny about the choices she had to make. She was also willing to open doors for others. Along the way, Oprah became fabulously wealthy. Forbes has estimated that she is worth more than $2.5 billion and earns about $275 million. She has used her wealth and influence to help the less fortunate. She gives to charity, supports various causes and even founded the Oprah Academy for Girls, to help provide leadership opportunities for South African girls. Perhaps because of her background in radio and television news, she has been adept at being able to generate news stories as she ferrets out information from her many guests. Her show is a must-stop for those seeking to reach a national audience. Oprah has been a trail blazer, someone who dared go where no others have gone. She has used her television show for good causes, while also entertaining her vast audience. The impending demise of her show will leave a void that's unlikely to be filled by any of today's talk show hosts. At 55 Oprah is unlikely to fade completely from the limelight. She is likely to return in another role, promoting the issues that she believes in. She has amply demonstrated that daytime TV can be used for good purposes. We wish her an early goodbye, while waiting for her reincarnation in another form. s 3<jl 1'iT t' ! ‘ «' ! » i I J'I

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MUNCIE TIMES

Publisher Bea Moten-Foster Editor John Lambkun Advertising Cathy Evans Graphics & Design Adrian Barrett Contributors: T.S. Kumbula, Jeanine Lee Lake, Hurley C. Goodall, Judy Mays, and Marc H. Morial, Mariann Wright-Edelman Photographer Connie Stanton The Muncie Times is published twice monthly at 1304 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Muncie, IN47303. It covers the communities of Anderson, Marion, New Castle, Richmond, and Muncie. All editorial correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, The Muncie Times, 1304 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Muncie, IN 47303. Telephone (765) 741-0037. Fax (765) 741-0040 email: themuncietimes @ corneas/.net 1