Savannah Guthrie’s Mom’s Disappearance Has Rocked ‘Today’ — and Strained Morning TV’s Image of a Joyful Family

Many workplaces sell themselves as a family, but broadcast morning shows are somewhat unique in doing so on live TV for hours each day, beamed into people’s living rooms. Long before podcasts popularized pop sociology terms like “parasocial relationship” or ballooned into marathon video sessions to be passively consumed while going about one’s routine, morning shows like NBC’s “Today” had filled that essential role for decades. Anchors play an almost parental role, presiding over a crew of correspondents and acting as a stabilizing force amid the tonal extremes of daytime infotainment, which can veer from geopolitical crisis…