46 years of Jim Gardner | Morning Newsletter
And 2022 in photos.
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The Morning Newsletter
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It’ll be sunny with a high of 42.
For 46 years, Jim Gardner has been a constant presence in living and dining rooms explaining what we need to know about news events ranging from snowstorms to global crises.
He is the face of 6ABC, if not all of local broadcast journalism.
Today’s lead story is an intimate look at his career before he signs off for the last time later this month.
If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Gardner began working for 6ABC in 1976, a time when no building downtown had been constructed higher than the William Penn statue on City Hall and Frank Rizzo was still mayor.
The following year, he was promoted to be the lead anchor of the 6 p.m. and the 11 p.m. newscasts.
Necessary context: As part of the Action News Format, the station produced more stories per episode than its rivals, with a heavy emphasis on punchy crime coverage. It began a decades-long stretch of dominance.
Gardner has covered it all, including the release of U.S. hostages from Iran in 1981, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, and Pope John Paul II’s visits to Cuba in 1998 and the Holy Land in 2000.
Keep reading to discover what the iconic newscaster is pondering in the next chapter of his life (and stay for the archived photos).
It’s that time of year for The Inquirer’s annual Year in Photos.
Inquirer photojournalists took readers through a year of Philadelphia being in spotlight.
All eyes were on the city:
The nation watched to see how Pennsylvania’s races for governor and Senate would impact the direction of the state and the country.
We celebrated — and climbed a few poles — as the Phillies and the Union vied for championships.
The people of our region celebrated life and mourned loss. Residents showed up for one another during another year of uncertainty, from the pandemic to the economy to access to health care.
Continue reading to see the full photo project.
What you should know today
The Christopher Columbus statue in South Philly has been unboxed while its fate is still up in the air.
Juul agreed to pay millions in a settlement with Pennsylvania over youth e-cigarette marketing.
The Philadelphia Health Commissioner shared tips for a safer holiday gathering during a ‘tripledemic.’
Only one in five Philadelphians has received their flu vaccine so far this season.
John Fetterman is in a new Netflix crime drama, The Pale Blue Eye, starring Christian Bale.
Local coronavirus numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
Which town was named “the cheapest place to live” in New Jersey last week?
A) Gloucester City
B) Oaklyn
C) Pitman
D) Clayton
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re ...
👀 Watching: Despite a rough midterm election, Pennsylvania Republicans don’t seem likely to shift away from contentious social issues like restricting abortion access.
❌ Explaining: Why Parade — a popular underwear company — is the latest fashion company to face backlash for a new campaign.
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Hint: Tavern on Camac
AMEX IN’S
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shout-out goes to John Piernikowski, who correctly guessed Slapshot as Monday’s answer.
Photo of the Day
And that’s your Tuesday. I’ll be back bright and early tomorrow in your inbox ☀️.