Chelsea Clinton’s broadcast debut: media reactions (VIDEO)

GlobalPost

Despite having no experience in television reporting, Chelsea Clinton—daughter of former US President Bill Clinton—was hired by NBC as a special correspondent in November.

So it's no wonder that when her broadcast series, "Making a Difference," debuted last night on “Rock Center With Brian Williams,” the media put her under a critical eye.

The New York Time's Alessandra Stanley reported that Clinton wanted to become a journalist to lead a “purposefully public life.”

But to Stanley, that doesn't make a lot of sense.

"Because of her last name," Stanley wrote, "there are plenty of ways to do good works and publicize worthy causes besides becoming a television newscaster."

Stanley also believed that by becoming a journalist, Clinton violated a "long-standing nonaggression pact with the media."

As for her performance, however, she thought Clinton came off as "a little self-conscious on camera and doesn’t have the kind of richly modulated anchor voice most television reporters acquire."

But, she continued, that characteristic about Clinton's delivery gave the series a more natural, video blog-ish, feel.

Read more from GlobalPost: To the Czechs, she's "Clintonova"

Hank Stuever from The Washington Post thought Clinton lacked charisma: "Either we’re spoiled by TV’s unlimited population of giant personalities or this woman is one of the most boring people of her era."

He wrote that despite Clinton's impressive schooling (she went to Stanford, Oxford, Columbia, and is currently at New York University), what she was actually doing was not challenging:

"Clinton is now ready to put all that schooling to one of the easiest tasks on the planet: feel-good journalism about folks just makin’ their way."

Media reporter Howard Kurtz of The Daily Beast noted how "low-key" and "cautious" Clinton's debut was, writing that it was a "typical, slickly produced network puff piece."

Kurtz also thought she did not "pop" off the screen, was reserved, and did not "project her voice like a broadcaster."

However, he added, it probably did not matter since most viewers probably did not care. 

Unlike Kurtz, The LA TimesMeredith Blake seemed to enjoy her voice: "Her voice, which was almost startling to hear, is smooth and pleasant. If the journalism thing doesn't work out, she may have a future in voice-over."

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Read more from GlobalPost: Chelsea Clinton becomes latest celebrity turned journalist (PHOTOS)

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