I hope that journalists reconsider their stories before they publish them. 3.1.2023 4:21 PM, Eric Boehm This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. It was as if he enjoyed being reminded to remain humble, especially after all of the success and adulation he earned throughout his remarkable career. He was the first-ever non-astronaut, non-NASA employee to receive the honor. The CBS legendary Anchorman Walter Cronkite lived the last four years of his life enjoying life with his gal pal Joanna Simon but didn't include her in his testament. Just doing the news -- the live performance -- wasn't important. "You see, this is when I was anchoring the broadcast. 7. Uncle Walters word was gold.. Because he did. Words fail to describe the magnificence of this accomplishment. "You need to show me some ID.," the fellow demanded. Some of his most famous reporting wasnt on current events, but historical ones, Though Cronkite anchored CBS coverage of events like the Democratic National Convention, he earned a name for himself as the host of a show called You Are There, which used a news format to report on historical events like the execution of Joan of Arc. In 2005, Cronkite suffered a great loss when his wife Betsy died of cancer. Adrian Monck and Mike Hanley note in their 2008 book, Can You Trust the Media?, that in addition to being a function of regulation, high public trust for a person or institution can also be accidental. The times that Cronkite directly engaged controversy can be counted on one handhis 1968 special, in which he called the Vietnam War a stalemate and called for negotiations, and a pair of 1972 broadcasts about the Watergate scandal, both of which are cited in his New York Times obituary. And so: when so many people from so many eras and walks of life agree that Walter Cronkite was TMTMAhe must have touched more than a few trust bases. He became the host of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. Now its all about clicks, which are best achieved by affirming well-established beliefs. This mission wasnt a media puff story either. I liked reporting as well. According to polls, he was the most trusted man in Americamore than the first lady, the Pope or the president.. He claimed, "I built my reputation on honest, straightforward reporting. But you can still see it. My grandmother used to tell me about Cronkite and his reporting. Subscription Preferences That's one of the fundamentals of good journalism., Its almost comical to think of todays broadcasters as you read this quote, On television, I tried to absolutely hew to the middle of the road and not show any prejudice or bias in any way., But for Cronkite, that was the deal -- or, to quote his famous sign-off line, "thats the way it is.". I finally stopped trying. Walter Cronkite earned the American people's trust by telling them hard truths and refusing to toe the expected line. In a 1972 poll, the American public dubbed him as the most trusted man in America due to numerous reasons. A new biography of Walter Cronkite reveals the less trustworthy side of the most trusted man in America. He remained true to that purpose, pursuing reporting at the expense of a college education. Cronkite also trusted the people to respond well to his truth-telling and to use their intelligence to evaluate his words. As a newsman, his passion was limited to his role of reporter. In 1962, Cronkite took on his most famous role as anchor of the CBS Evening News. These organizations seem to value one person desperately trying to voice their well-worn diatribe over another. The security guard didn't fully believe him, but finally let Walter Cronkite in. He did not let his political views get in the way of his reporting. Authoritative, calm, rationalthey explained the world to you, Ward says. Days later he made the very poignant announcement that Kennedy had died. Long acrylic nails. Cronkite is laughing now: "So, I tried to explain but the guard wouldn't budge. Cronkite also witnessed D-day from above, covered Operation Market after landing by paraglider with paratroopers, and witnessed the Battle of the Bulge. "My dad was one of those people. The news today, regardless of political affiliation, more closely resembles professional wrestling crossed with a high school grapevine. Its not just the naive and undereducated who end up trusting people and institutions that they shouldnt. During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after . As we mourn "the most trusted man in America" we also mourn the kind of television news that no longer exists. Cronkite, the main influence at CBS News, chose to err on the side of valid news rather than being first to break a story. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. Cronkites untouchable aura of authority led droves of viewers to change their opinions on Vietnam. To honor that commitment, NASA presented Cronkite with an Ambassador of Exploration award in 2008. And it wasnt fluffyit was very clear. Despite the fact that there was less scrutiny on the media during Cronkites time than today, he approached his career as a broadcaster with integrity and with a sense of responsibility to his viewers. Your Privacy Rights "That wasn't why I was laughing, young man," Walter said to me. As we mourn "the most trusted man in America" we also mourn the kind of television news that no longer exists. In fact, the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism informs us that the News Hour is losing numbers, not gaining them: For the 2007-08 season, the number of different people watching each week was 5.5 million, down from the previous seasons 6.1 million. According to PBS research, the viewers are migrating to cable news, a fate that trusted Walter would probably be suffering today if he were still reading from the teleprompter. Walter Cronkite with the News (1962-1963) CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell (2019-present) . If Cronkite were working in todays news environment, painting the news from the same palette he used when he anchored the CBSprogram, would viewers still invest their deep trust in him? He dedicated his life to reporting all types of events occurring across the globe. Although he continued to do occasional reporting on various assignments outside the studio, for many, his retirement felt like the end of an era. Cronkite became a legendary figure and was often called "the most trusted man in America." Fast Facts: Walter Cronkite He helped shape the way much of the nation viewed the world but he spoke to all of America in a time when Americans were united by. I also didnt know that he had traveled to Vietnam to report on the war, I think that was very brave of him. Haven't got the Fieldbook yet? With relentless lobbying, I ended up with a treasure: the NASA press kit Cronkite reportedly used while covering the Apollo 9 and 10 flights. For years I tried to improve on it, and never could. What do you think? Charles L. Ponce de Leon February 1, 2013. In todays multifaceted news environment, with hundreds of channels available on cable and thousands more potential news sources online, its difficult to imagine a single figure having as much impact on the public consciousness as Cronkite did. Walter Cronkite and the legend of CBS News. Walter Cronkites iconic sign-off and thats the way it is was taken at face value by the nation. Finally, I said, either you let me in right now or in about thirty seconds the largest group of people you can imagine will be running through that studio door. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. His only agenda was his professionalism, about which he was quite clear. From being an active reporter during World War II to traveling to Vietnam during the Vietnam War, he reported on the most historic events from the late twentieth century. He became the anchorman of American televisions first half-hour news program at night. The longtime New York City townhouse that once belonged to Walter Cronkite, otherwise known as the most trusted man in news, has quietly sold for $7.25 million, The Post has learned. By then, Mr. Cronkite had retired. Public mistrust of the government reached a new level, and Cronkites interview of Ellsbergcaptured ina photographnow among the National Portrait Gallerys collectionsbecame one of the many iconic moments of his career. It is during his years at CBS where he started working on major events such as the 1952 presidential election. Just the name Walter Cronkite conveys a significance backed by well-vetted facts. Once there was a newsman named Walter Cronkite. Available now! The manner in which Walter delivered those stories genuine, caring, professional established him as a trusted news anchor. This is the process of discovering, embracing and delivering their greatest value which allows them to realize greater profit. But the lack of real-world experience has put perspective in short supply, and the public's interest in reading things that simply confirm their own views has put news outlets in a tough spot. "(King's) approach to covering important events and interviewing politicians, leaders . In addition I was also inspired to how much of a difference a journalist can truly make. He was televisions version of Gary Cooperstoic, his own man, capable under stress of expressing deep feelingsbut in a highly controlled manner. Embrace Cronkites approach be true to yourself and your profession, be fair, commit to a life of integrity be a fearless brand. Twelve years later, Cronkite gained a position that skyrocketed his fame. He kept his opinions, like his emotions, largely to himself. After all, true journalists worked in print and radio. This is my last broadcast as the anchorman of The CBS Evening News, Cronkite said. It was 1977. Advertising Notice His unassuming manner and sincerity were two reasons why people liked and trusted him so much. As the war raged on. He had a natural talent for communicating the truth that was nurtured by a very caring, middle class upbringing in the Mid-West. Walter Leland Cronkite . As the war raged on,he experienced one the most important events in his personal life in 1940, when he married Betsy Maxwell. No other footage has been played more the last few days more than his announcement of JFKs death. Hes flying over Berlin, and hes at the invasion of Normandy and the Bridge Too Far, the Battle of Arnhem. It was a different time. A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. People determine theres a better way to do things and, if theyre right, entire categories can be upended. In his 2000 book, The Control Room: How Television Calls the Shots in Presidential Elections, CBS News veteran Martin Plissner writes: Its anybodys guess how high Cronkites competitors at NBC News (John Chancellor) and ABC News (Harry Reasoner) would have ranked had Quayle included their names in the poll. It was the same place and a similar thing happened. " Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. 399 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116 +1-617-564-3443. Thank you for this article, many of us likely know the name Walter Cronkite but Id be lying if Id said I knew the full breadth of his career and his contributions to American journalism. Walter Cronkite was born on November 4, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The avuncular Cronkite anchored CBS Evening News for 19 years until 1981 when he retired. 3.1.2023 5:00 PM, Emma Camp Cronkite won the best-known category, but John Chancellor took the honors for best-liked and most-watched TV newsperson. | READ MORE. Cronkite strongly influenced the politics and outcome of the Vietnam War. Cronkite stayed in the Kansas City area until he was 10. Its those characteristics which make him a fearless brand. Of the spacewalk, he said, nothing compares with thisnot his experiences covering World War II or the various heads of state around the world. Reading this article allowed me to get to know Walter Cronkite in a more elaborate way i have heard how he impacted the way journalist tell stories to the world. 1 Colonization and Settlement (1500-1763), 2 Revolution and Early Republic (1754-1801), 4 Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877), 5 Emergence of Modern America (1877-1929), 4 Late Middle Ages-Renaissance-Reformation Europe (1300-1648), 3 Post-Classical History (600 CE-1492 CE), HS 1302 United States History since 1877, SP 3392 Language Variation and Dialectology of Spanish, https://www.biography.com/media-figure/walter-cronkite, https://www.notablebiographies.com/Co-Da/Cronkite-Walter.html, Jeff Cunningham, Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr.,, Joseph Epstein, A Face Only a Nation Could Love,, College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences. need to know a little bit about a lot of things, so journalism schools should focus on liberal arts. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. In 1963 Cronkite covered the JFK assassination which became a key moment in his career. There arent now, and in fact, there have never been many journalists that had Cronkites level of belief in the American people, in their ability to use their brains and hearts to discern what was really going on in a given situation. The sophisticated and the well-schooled are vulnerable, too. In 1950, Cronkite joined CBS News and hosted several CBS shows, such as You are There, The Morning Show, and The Twentieth Century. So What? His honest reporting led to a rare assertion of his own viewpoint into the storythat the war was at a stalemate and the two countries should negotiate an end to hostilities. "And thats the way it is" was his aspirational statementto state the truth, which he felt was independent of our knowledge of itand to share it with the rest of us. And one last thing. Newsman Walter Cronkite, who died at the age of 92, was so thoroughly and uniquely linked with the word "trust" that it is tempting to say that the word should be buried with him. He says CBS then used the survey results to promote the network. One of the key reasons was his integrity. Cronkite in turn gave the award, which included a coveted moon rock brought back during an Apollo expedition, to the president of the University of Texas at Austin, where his personal papers are now housed. Cronkite continued to do special reports and other media appearances up until his death in 2009. One part stood out. He was the first non-astronaut ever to get the award. The Most Trusted. Your Privacy Rights Source: IMDB, Cronkite on the Cbs Evening News. Author Douglas David Brinkley refers often in the book, titled Cronkite, to the anchorman's "most trusted" status. If Cronkite reported it thats really the way it was. With the help of our community staff & student interns; we interview, document, and create content for global viewing. Cronkite also refused to report stories until they were validated. LBJ, a great judge of politics, said, "If Ive lost Cronkite, Ive lost middle America." Cookie Policy Despite his objective persona, it was clear to his viewers that Cronkite was a real person with real interests and feelings. Though the FBI did retain some files related to Cronkite, whom they never investigated, files related to an extortion investigation in the 1970s were destroyed. Known as the "most trusted man in America," Cronkite made his mark on . As Bob Schieffer said on a "Face the Nation" program honoring Cronkite, it's why Americans trusted him. Walter Cronkite was born on November 4, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. He accepted the second offer, however, and began working as the host of a show called You Are There. The award, which is named for the late CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, honors leading figures in journalism. McLaughlin, who . Host Steven Scheuer interviews television anchor and broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, "the most trusted man in America," about his time as a journalist . What Made Walter Cronkite The Most Trusted Communicator in America? The decade of the sixties was tumultuous including social unrest, the civil rights movement, Vietnam and the assassinations ofMartin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. Be true to yourself and your profession Walter Cronkite realized his purpose early in life. As I discussed in an earlier post Want to know that youre right? First listed . I ran down to the lobby of the CBS News Broadcast Center to escort Mr. Cronkite to a studio. He never allowed his broader passion to diminish and die. Reading the encomiums in his honorand watching the raw man-in-the-street interviews Friday nightthere is a clear hierarchy of what people meant when they said they trusted Walter Cronkite. Its interesting to see different figures across generations that offer a sense of trust and reliability to a whole nation during devastating times. Seek the complete storyIn Cronkites own words In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.That approach is a rare quality in todays journalism circles in our society for that matter. Walter Jr. the only child of Walter, a dentist, and Helen, a homemaker was born on November 4, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Chung's last broadcast as co-anchor was on May 18, 1995. The Most Trusted Man in America didnt get there by calling himself the Most Trusted Man in America. Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 - July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the CBS Evening News [1] for 19 years, from 1962 to 1981. If You Think Im a Joke the Jokes On You! Oprah Winfrey: Overcoming Adversity to Become a Master Communicator, How Zappos Used Customer Engagement to Build a $2B Brand. He said as much over and over, As journalists covering politics, most of us are aware of the necessity to try to be sure we're unbiased in our reporting. The extra time allowed Walter to air a special feature an in-depth interview with then President John Kennedy. Joseph Stromberg was previously a digital reporter for Smithsonian. Very nice article! "It's safe to say that Walter Cronkite was not the most trusted man in America, and it's safe to say he was not even the most trusted man among newsmen," says American University Professor Joseph Campbell, author of Getting it Wrong. These news performances are in stark contrast to Walter Cronkites definition of news. Cronkite stayed in the Kansas City area until he was 10. . For somebody of my generation, he was the pillar of American broadcast journalism, says David Ward, a historian at the National Portrait Gallery. Walter Cronkite Was The "Most Trusted Man In America", But I Could Never Watch His Program Once I Moved To Johannesburg. In 1950, Cronkite finally joined CBS after numerous offers. Let me share a brief encounter with the newsman everyone knew: Did I say "everyone?" Prove yourself wrong!, we cant be certain of our stance if we dont learn the entire story. Security guard did n't fully believe him, but finally let Walter Cronkite a. The entire story commitment, NASA presented Cronkite with an Ambassador of Exploration in! Achieved by affirming well-established beliefs that he had traveled to Vietnam to report on the war, I to. 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