You Should Have Been Here Yesterday: A Life Story in Television News [Hardcover]

Garrick Utley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2000

A witty, critical memoir--in print and on a DVD disc--of a life in front of the cameras and of the evolution of television news by one of America's leading TV journalists. . A generation of television viewers grew up watching Garrick Utley as he trekked to the far reaches of the Earth for NBC-News. What is life as a foreign correspondent really like? Is it all glamour and adventure? In this wise and witty memoir, Utley reveals what life is like behind the camera. He takes us from the battlefields of Vietnam to the backwaters of Belize, from communist Russia to revolutionary Rhodesia, in search of the most riveting, most important news stories out there. But Utley's story is far more than a personal memoir--it's a sweeping history of network news. Utley reflects, in particular, on how the correspondent's role has shifted as centralized control, advanced technology, "infotainment," and profit margin have altered the way television networks operate and television news is reported. Packaged with a DVD of memorable Utley reports and dramatic footage from the heyday of network news, You Should Have Been Here Yesterday is an indispensable tour of the business and excitement of television news.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Currently with CNN's New York bureau, Utley covered international affairs for three decades for NBC, reporting from more than 70 countries, and went on to serve as ABC's chief foreign correspondent from 1993 to 1996. This low-key but engrossing memoir demonstrates not only how much he loves broadcast journalism but also reveals his passionate belief in the high standards television news owes its audience. He includes vivid descriptions of career highlights, such as his coverage of the conflict in Vietnam, when TV news first came to the fore; the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague; the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which brought OPEC into the limelight, and a chilling account of a 1977 interview with former Nazi leader Albert Speer. Most important to the author and his readers, however, is his analysis of the changes that have occurred in TV news reporting and what lies ahead in this information age. According to Utley, there has been a sharp decline in network time allotted to coverage of international issues by foreign correspondents, which he attributes to the increasingly bottom-line mentality of the corporations that have taken over the networks, although he also cites American apathy toward foreign issues as a contributing factor. But Utley does believe that increasing globalization is motivating viewers to seek out more international coverage, and he sees the broadcast news services, in combination with electronic and digital journalism, complying. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Utley, a foreign correspondent with NBC News for more than 30 years, could have titled this memoir "Right Place, Right Time." The son of a radio newscaster, Utley, who currently works for CNN, got in on the ground floor of television news and went on to witness both its glory days and its decline. He weaves that story deftly with his own, covering some of the most memorable events of the last three decades: the arrival of U.S. troops in Vietnam and their departure more than ten years later; the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia; the collapse of the Berlin Wall; and war in the Middle East. Utley's narrative doesn't always follow a strict chronology, but the promised index will help readers to find specific events. An accompanying CD-ROM (not seen) contains highlights of his broadcasting career. From his rare vantage point, Utley offers shrewd observations on the economic, technological, and social factors that have changed how news is gathered and reported. Recommended for public and academic libraries.DSusan M. Colowick, North Olympic Lib. Syst., Port Angeles, WA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: PublicAffairs; 1st edition (November 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891620940
• ISBN-13: 978-1891620942
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,098,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading for News Junkies, January 2, 2001

By 

Loy Wilkinson (Bridgewater, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Should Have Been Here Yesterday: A Life Story in Television News (Hardcover)

The title calls one attention to the past; the effect of the book is to ponder the future. This is a book well worth reading. It gives weight to the contention that the best way to describe, or teach, history is to describe a series of incidents involving real people. Mr. Utley does that and ties the incidents together not only by personal experience, but also by two more important themes. One is the development of imagery in his craft; and the other is the incremental yet accelerating advance of technology in broadcast news.

The relatively innocent images once created by the radio sound effects man have given away to powerful images that change public attitudes about fundamental questions. Films and pictures of violence over civil rights riveted the nation's attention on this issue. Films and pictures from Veit Nam, dying soldiers, fleeing refugees, immolated monks and helicopters evacuating the American Embassy, had more to do with creating fundamental changes in foreign policy and military policy than the most reasoned analyses. Mr. Utley describes the maturing of the image vividly because, in most cases, he was there.

The other theme of this book is the effect of technology on broadcasting, or the news business or what ever it is we have now. There are two constants in news. One constant is the event and the other constant is the audience that wants to be informed, or in recent years, wants to observe. The personalities and institutions that inform or televise the events are transient and are largely the creatures or victims of technology. The rise and decline of national network news was much affected by both incremental developments such as the hand-held television camera, as well as step changes such as satellite hook ups. The once venerated journalists of network news are now dinosaurs. We have all of this directly from one of the dinosaurs, our author.

Where is all of this technical development taking the news business? What will be the effect of the Internet, especially broadband, always-on connections? Nobody knows, but Mr. Utley has an opinion.

If watching the news is a ritual or a passion, you will enjoy this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars News Reporting in Transition, December 31, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: You Should Have Been Here Yesterday: A Life Story in Television News (Hardcover)

In 1961 when Garrick Utley graduated from Carleton College, the world was a very different place. One major change that has taken place almost without our noticing it is the difference in the way we learn about world events. Mr. Utley started in the earliest days of television news and brings us to today's instant news on CNN and even the Internet. Well worth reading.