The Pen

I am not a fan of the news. Since most of it is upsetting, I would rather just watch cooking shows. When I do happen to have the news channel on, there is one thing I do not understand. Why does every news anchor have a pen in their hand? We all know that the news is totally scripted and there in no room for something being interjected. On the rare occasion they say something off the cuff, a lawsuit usually follows. So, why do they have a pen? Does the pen give the illusion that the anchor person actually wrote the news? Are they doing a Sudoku puzzle during the commercials? Years ago, Peter Jennings, a famous anchorman used to end his show and while the titles were being played each night, he would pick up the telephone and make a call. A television interviewer once asked him if he was calling the newsroom to go over the night's show. He told them he was only calling his wife to let her know he would be coming home for dinner soon.