Charles Gibson, in a word?
… the abrupt end of the Bob Woodruff-Elizabeth Vargas pairing that led the network to put the avuncular Charles Gibson in the anchor chair.
Sawyer, who will turn 64 in December and is more polarizing than the avuncular Gibson, may bring new viewers, fans from Good Morning America, to World News, [Temple University professor Amy] Caples said.
NPR:
Gibson has been an avuncular presence who was unafraid of mixing it up, as in his interview last year with Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin…
Dan Rather today on MSNBC’s Morning Joe:
[Gibson’s] brought a lot of stability, brought a lot of class, avuncular to the program….
And, more generally applied by the New York Times:
The arrival of Ms. Sawyer will comprehensively alter the long-established image of an avuncular male nightly news anchor…
So, I guess, adieu, avuncularity? Will the word materteral now enjoy a comeback? Not sure it has avuncular’s…. gravitas.
Liz Cox Barrett is a writer at CJR.