When Mitch reads the quote by billionaire media mogul Ted Turner, he sees a bit of Turner's greediness in himself, and is frightened by it. When Turner says that he does not want his "tombstone to read, 'I never owned a network," he gives the dual impression that he does not want to be remembered purely for his professional shortcomings. This idea of how one is remembered after death one of the books main concerns. Morrie gives less thought to his professional career than Turner, of course, and focuses on how he has touched people personally, including his students. In a later chapter, Mitch asks Morrie if he fears being forgotten after he dies. Morrie replies that he has no fear of being forgotten, as he is alive in the memory of those who love him. The Turner quote is used to reveal Morrie's connection between love and staying alive in the memory of others.
Turner's appearance in the book also contributes to the array of media-related images that appear throughout Tuesdays With Morrie. The media is unmistakably portrayed as a dual purveyor of evil and meaninglessness, exemplified by the many newspaper articles Mitch reads about recent murders and hatred crimes, and by the O.J. Simpson murder trial, which has created a frenzied circus media and public debate, with journalists feeding on it like vultures would a meaty carcass.
Also vital to the portrayal of the media in the book is Mitch's occupation as a long-time journalist. Throughout his time with Morrie, his employer continues to strike, and he remains out of a job. While he had been working, Mitch had been miserable, and had dedicated his life to his "meaningless" work, reporting on sporting events and chasing down celebrities. Now, however, Mitch has had the time to restore meaning to his life, rekindling loving relationships and create his own culture, as Morrie has instructed him to do. The media is also a major influence on the values system dictated by popular culture, which Morrie rejects. Even the famous interviewer Ted Koppel, who Morrie befriends, is portrayed as somewhat heartless in The Ninth Tuesday, when his corporation calls Morrie to ask him for another interview to be scheduled only when Morrie's health is noticeably deteriorated.
