that they provide to the American people

to better understand why the tragedy of 9/11 happened

and what we must do to prevent a reoccurrence.

I also welcome the hearings because it is finally a forum

where I can apologize

to the loved ones of the victims of 9/11.

To them who are here in the room,

to those who are watching on television,

your government failed you.

Those entrusted with protecting you

failed you.

And I failed you.

Good evening. I'm Will McAvoy.

This is News Night, and that was a clip

of Richard Clarke, former counterterrorism chief

to President George W. Bush,

testifying before Congress on March 24, 2004.

Americans liked that moment.

I liked that moment.

Adults should hold themselves accountable for failure.

And so tonight I'm beginning this newscast

by joining Mr. Clarke in apologizing

to the American people for our failure.

The failure of this program during the time I've been in charge of it

to successfully inform and educate the American electorate.

Let me be clear that I don't apologize

on behalf of all broadcast journalists,

nor do all broadcast journalists owe an apology.

I speak for myself.

I was an accomplice to a slow and repeated and unacknowledged

and unamended train wreck of failures

that have brought us to now.

I'm a leader in an industry that miscalled election results,

hyped up terror scares, ginned up controversy,

and failed to report on tectonic shifts in our country.

From the collapse of the financial system

to the truths about how strong we are

to the dangers we actually face.

I'm a leader in an industry that misdirected

your attention with the dexterity of Harry Houdini

while sending hundreds of thousands of our bravest young men and women

off to war without due diligence.

The reason we failed isn't a mystery.

We took a dive for the ratings.

In the infancy of mass communications,

the Columbus and Magellan of broadcast journalism,

William Paley and David Sarnoff,

went down to Washington to cut a deal with Congress.

Congress would allow the fledgling networks

free use of taxpayer-owned airwaves

in exchange for one public service.

That public service would be one hour of air time

set aside every night for informational broadcasting,

or what we now call the evening news.

Congress, unable to anticipate the enormous capacity

television would have to deliver consumers to advertisers,

failed to include in its deal the one requirement

that would have changed our national discourse

immeasurably for the better.

Congress forgot to add that under no circumstances

could there be paid advertising

during informational broadcasting.

They forgot to say that taxpayers will give you the airwaves for free

and for 23 hours a day you should make a profit,

but for one hour a night you work for us.

And now those network newscasts,

anchored through history by honest-to-God newsmen

with names like Murrow and Reasoner and Huntley

and Brinkley and Buckley and Cronkite and Rather

and Russert-- Now they have to compete with the likes of me.

A cable anchor who's in the exact same business

as the producers of Jersey Shore.

And that business was good to us,

but News Night is quitting that business right now.

It might come as a surprise to you

that some of history's greatest American journalists are working right now,

exceptional minds with years of experience

and an unshakeable devotion to reporting the news.

But these voices are a small minority now

and they don't stand a chance against the circus

when the circus comes to town. They're overmatched.

I'm quitting the circus and switching teams.

I'm going with the guys who are getting creamed.

I'm moved that they still think they can win

and I hope they can teach me a thing or two.

From this moment on, we'll be deciding what goes on our air

and how it's presented to you based on the simple truth

that nothing is more important to a democracy

than a well-informed electorate.

We'll endeavor to put information in a broader context

because we know that very little news is born

at the moment it comes across our wire.

We'll be the champion of facts

and the mortal enemy of innuendo, speculation,

hyperbole, and nonsense.

We're not waiters in a restaurant

serving you the stories you asked for just the way you like them prepared.

Nor are we computers dispensing only the facts

because news is only useful in the context of humanity.

I'll make no effort to subdue my personal opinions.

I will make every effort to expose you

to informed opinions that are different from my own.

You may ask who are we to make these decisions.

We are Mackenzie McHale and myself.

Miss McHale is our executive producer.

She marshals the resources of over 100 reporters,

producers, analysts, technicians,

and her credentials are readily available.

I'm News Night's managing editor

and make the final decision on everything seen

and heard on this program.

Who are we to make these decisions?

We're the media elite.

We'll be back after this with the news.