Legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite has passed away in New York at the age of 92. His journalistic career covered such historic events as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, the assassination of JFK and the first man on the moon.
I was reading Roger Ebert's tribute of Cronkite in today's Chicago Sun-Times and he writes that he still gets chills when he sees the moment when he announced that President Kennedy had died considering, as he writes, that America wouldn't be the same, a leader was taken away from us Americans, and the rest of the 20th Century and the start of the 21st would be filled with hate, war, and violence. He's right and you must ask 'What has America really accomplished since 1963?'
But he did have editorial opinions. Some of the Vietnam reporting was clearly his opinion, and he acknowledged that. And there’s nothing wrong with it.
During World War II, Walter Cronkite worked at the old United Press wire service, and Ed Murrow tried to recruit him for CBS. Cronkite initially agreed to join CBS, but changed his mind when the UP gave him a big raise. Murrow then contacted UP headquarters, and convinced then to let Cronkite, in addition to his wire service work, be a stringer for CBS during the latter stages of the war in Europe. Cronkite joined CBS News on a full-time basis in 1950.
Ignoring the inevitable trolls... Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, Eric Severaid, Chet Huntley, Davd Brinkley, Howard K Smith, etc. were part of a great era of journalism in this country that was dedicated to the propostion, as Severaid said, that the purpose of journalism is "to elucidate, not to advocate". Much of the rest of the time the opposite has been true. Caveat emptor, my friedns.
I am a woman, and I am a chef. My grandfather was a POW in Korea, and my brother is currently serving in the Middle East. I am calling out all of these "chicken hawks", that call a veteran soldier a traitor for telling the truth. He spoke from his conscience, with conviction and honor which is far more than I can say for any of you. If speaking one's mind, and having the courage to put your career, reputation and legacy on the line count as acts of cowardice and treason, then sign me up! .
I know few will see or read what I am about to say, but it needs to be typed and posted . Some things you are about to read may shock you and even cause you to stop and think before you watch another News show. The major players in today's news game are CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC and FOX NEWS. Walter Cronkite had a nickname not mentioned hear but 98% of you heard it, " The most trusted Man in America ". And without doubt he certainly was , there was no liberal or democratic lean nor conservative or republican lean to Mr. Cronkite, he simply called it as it was . In all the years on TV you may have heard his opinion less than 10 times. He called it as it was as he felt thats what Americans needed and deserved. He showed emotion that didn't have to be faked or pushed on you. The JFK assassination, MLK and Robert Kennedys assassination, and of course the moon landing. Nobody knew his political affiliation and we didn't care, why ? Because it never mattered , He went off on LBJ as well as Nixon when they were in the wrong and gave praise when he felt they were doing their jobs well. When Mr. Cronkite retired he admitted he was a Liberal, and a far left one at that. But he did his job soooooo well tnat you never wondered or even thought to ask what his opinion on politics was. " The most trusted Man in America " was just that and nothing more if you'd ask him. There has not been even 1 man or woman that is worthy to get him coffee and make sure his pencils are sharpened. The closest I have seen is Brett Baier , who does the 6pm report on FOX. I have seen him go hard at EVERY US President , without giving one a break over the other. If Mr. Cronkite was still at work a lot of the partisan politics over the last 24 years would not have happened. God Bless the memory of Walter Cronkite.
Yeah and he told the Truth.. he didn't have to hide from the truth, distort the truth, or deceive the truth.. cover up the truth.. Or make his way around the truth. Shameful where we are today
While its been many years since this broadcast I recall all the fanfare about Couric taking the desk on the evening news at CBS Sure didn't last long did it
No worries. I think it is hilarious that all of these guys that are upset about his Vietnam comments, aren't even old enough to be veterans. Chicken hawks, the lot of them. I'd be pretty upset to though, I suppose, if I still lived with my parents and collected disability. HAHAHA
