Barbara Walters Stoops to New Low, Uses Affair for Publicity

Barbara Walters dropped a bomb on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which is set to air next Tuesday. Walters disclosed that she had an affair with US Senator Edward Brooke during the 1970s. Brooke was married at the time, Walters was not. It has confused both the media and the public as to why Walters would choose to disclose the affair now, over thirty years after it occurred. There are murmurings about the effect it will have on her career and why she would come forward with the information at all.

Both Barbara Walters and Edward Brooke can expect to be in the spotlight for several days. Affairs always make for good news stories. At a time when the news media is bogged down with politics and a primary season that will not go away, the news of the Walters/Brooke affair gives the public a much needed break from the seriousness of the political arena. Eventually, the media will find something else to talk about, but that will not be the end of the fiasco for the participants. When the dust of the spectacle fades, two people will be left to piece together careers after a media firestorm.

Edward Brooke is in a fairly good position. While he did have an extramarital affair with Barbara Walters, he has long since divorced the woman he had been married to at that time. He has since remarried, and is no longer in the US Senate. Although the media is currently attempting to get a comment from him regarding the affair, as long as he plays it safe, the media will soon leave him alone. The only repercussions Brooke should face will be personal. He may have some guilt for cheating on his ex wife, and he may have some explaining to do to his current wife. However, a career will not be damaged.

On the other hand, Barbara Walters might see some damage in regards to her career. Walters has made a name for herself in news media with her straightforward approach. She has always seemed like someone that could be counted on to deliver the news. Even though her credibility took a slight hit when she started The View, few have doubted her integrity as a news person.

Now, though, instead of reporting the news, Walters is making it. That is usually not a good thing for the media to do. Knowing how much Walters knows about the news, it would appear that she is manipulating it for attention and ratings. That makes her integrity questionable.

The View is at a difficult time, and a ratings boost could certainly help. Since the departure of Rosie O'Donnell, The View has been trying to reconnect with its audience. It would seem that Walters' admission is linked to the ratings of her show. She has interviewed media manipulators for years, and she decided to try out the hot seat for herself.

If viewers feel manipulated, her disclosure of the affair will certainly hurt Walters professionally. There is so much distrust of the news media as it is, and Walters just added to that. There is a balance between reporting the news and being the news, and Walters has crossed that line.

The aftermath of Walters' admission remains to be seen. She could walk away unscathed, but that is doubtful. It would be surprising if the public allowed her to carry on with her integrity intact. She has gone from a state of the art reporter of the news to a shallow, attention seeking publicity hound.

The Associated Press, "Barbara Walters: I had Affair with US Senator," cnn.com