My dad was one of those people. His only agenda was his professionalism, about which he was quite clear. Cronkite became a legendary figure and was often called "the most trusted man in America." Fast Facts: Walter Cronkite After graduating, Walter enrolled at the University of Texas, where he would study political science, economics and journalism in pursuit of becoming a reporter his dream career. Cronkite was born on November 4, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Your email address will not be published. Raised in Houston, Texas, he decided to become a journalist after reading a magazine article about a foreign correspondent. 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. I feel like nowadays we let our political views get in the way of each and every news story that it almost seems biased now. Stt: United States Rod: M Narozeniny: 1916-11-04 Zemel: 2009-07-17 ivotopis Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. (November 4, 1916 - July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years (1962-81). Forty years ago, a man walked on the Moon. Yet, much as I wished it might one day be my foot that stepped out beyond this Earth, being an astronaut didn't seem as much fun as doing what Walter Cronkite was doing. My unscientific sampling [], I recently listened to Howard Sterns interview with (Sir) Paul McCartney. July 18, 2009 -- One day after legendary reporter and anchorman Walter Cronkite died, colleagues and admirers are mourning the loss of "the most trusted" voice that led America through 40 years of . During his time at CBS, he was selected for the Television Hall of Fame, being only the second newsman to ever be chosen, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter. , In business, disruptors have existed for centuries. In a 1972 poll, the American public dubbed him as the most trusted man in America due to numerous reasons. The decade of the sixties was tumultuous including social unrest, the civil rights movement, Vietnam and the assassinations ofMartin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. And every article, blog or TV clip mentions how Walter Cronkite was so trusted. He truly laid out the foundation of what great newscasters should be like. Speaking of papers, youd think that given Cronkites status as one of the worlds most respected and well-traveled public figures, hed draw special attention from the FBI. | The emotion only made him seem more accessible to his audience, who felt many of the same feelings. He died on July 17, 2009, at age 92. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Cronkite, " I said as I turned to the clueless guard. This is a mostly justifiable assessment. | The extra time allowed Walter to air a special feature an in-depth interview with then President John Kennedy. Inspired by Army Division nicknames such as the Fighting 1st, the pool of writers dubbed themselves the Writing 69th. Privacy Statement What Made Walter Cronkite The Most Trusted Communicator in America? If so, you owe something to Walter CronkiteAmerica's uncle and the most influential broadcast journalist of all time. Everyone who watched Walter Cronkite somehow felt a personal connection to the newsman: whether they shared his coverage of the moon landing or his agony announcing the assassination of President Kennedy or endured with him the daily torment of an endless war in Vietnam or the despicable hostage-taking of diplomats in Iran. Privacy Policy | After reading about Walter I am compelled to look into journalism as a career. Walter Cronkite, former CBS anchor known as "Uncle Walter," has died. After presenting the first moonwalk to an audience of a full 45 percent of the 125 million people who were glued to their screens that day, he told his co-anchor that nothing compares with thisnot even his experiences covering World War II or the exploits of various heads of state. Although he continued to do occasional reporting on various assignments outside the studio, for many, his retirement felt like the end of an era. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). to see through the carefully crafted party lineon both sidesand get to the truth of the matter. He never allowed his broader passion to diminish and die. The idea was that this was a very serious job, performed by various serious men.. 0 Why the World Trusted Walter. It took a man of great character and outstanding humility to so sublimate his personal views and inherent bias to achieve that rather impossible standard. As a newsman, his passion was limited to his role of reporter. Erin Blakemore is a Boulder, Colorado-based journalist. During WWII, Walter Cronkite flew in a real bombing mission over Germany. She sat for the interview. Cookie Policy What? If the nostalgia for Cronkitian news values were genuine, youd expect PBSs soporific News Hour would be drawing huge and growing numbers of viewers. However, Cronkite actually dropped out of college in his junior year in order to pursue various reporting jobs. Indeed, his modesty and his dedication were the reasons his wide audience liked him so much and trusted him. Ever genial and humble, Walter Cronkite laughed. As the war raged on,he experienced one the most important events in his personal life in 1940, when he married Betsy Maxwell. Veronique de Rugy It was very enjoyable reading about him. As I said in my obituary of Walter Cronkite, in person, he could come off as formal, stiff and even somewhat self-important. According to polls, he was the most trusted man in Americamore than the first lady, the Pope or the president.. However, once those limitations were removed, Cronkite allowed his passion to ignite. Permanent disclosure: Slate is owned by the Washington Post Co.). For somebody of my generation, he was the pillar of American broadcast journalism, says David Ward, a historian at the National Portrait Gallery. Your Privacy Rights Cronkite is famous not only for his impartiality and journalistic integrity, but the few recorded instances of emotion he expressed on air. He's being remembered as the "father of television news," as . The CBS News security man began to protest but saw a murderous look in my eye and wisely let us pass. Nick Gillespieisan editor at largeatReason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. 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. He claimed, I built my reputation on honest, straightforward reporting. This story is about the most trusted man in America. Today, the job he perfected has largely lost its relevance. In 1981, CBSs mandatory retirement age of 65 required that Cronkite step down from his post. Cronkites enthusiasm for the U.S. space program carried throughout his journalistic career and helped Americans follow and support the program. The man who anchored . Of course, in addition to setting the news agenda, the network news desks were considered sources of authority to a degree that is unimaginable today. Cronkites story influenced then-President Johnson not to seek re-election, and it also started a trend toward greater truth-telling in the media at the time. As Lulu Guadalupe said, he truly laid out the foundation of what great newscasters should be like but alas, they are not. Because of his willingness to learn everything about spaceflight and his ability to convey his knowledge to viewers, he seemed to be almost as much a part of the American space program as the astronauts themselves. Some claim to be "fair and balanced" and are clearly neither. As the world saw a boot finally touch lunar dust, words briefly failed Walter Cronkite. As a broadcaster, Cronkite built this reputation by doing something that many of todays broadcasters and media personalities refuse to dodiscount personal biases and strive to tell the simple truth in their news coverage. As I prepared to whisk him off, a security guard at the front desk stopped him. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); For a free copy of the eBook "Selling to the C-Suite," email me, Charlie, personally and I'll send it along to you. Cronkite also witnessed D-day from above, covered Operation Market after landing by paraglider with paratroopers, and witnessed the Battle of the Bulge. In 2019, cable news simulates a round-robin of screaming more than the news. Today, more and more reporters never leave the comforts of their desks. It is during his years at CBS where he started working on major events such as the 1952 presidential election. Once there was a newsman named Walter Cronkite. Author Douglas David Brinkley refers often in the book, titled Cronkite, to the anchorman's "most trusted" status. | It was his integrity and commitment to fair reporting which established him as the most trusted man in America. These results came about because Walter Cronkite was a fearless brand. As Bob Schieffer said on a "Face the Nation" program honoring Cronkite, it's why Americans trusted him. Research in communication and psychology clearly shows that to be trusted a communicator has to be seen as knowledgeable and credible. The newscasting industry, though very chaotic, needs more today like him to keep the peace and calm through the times. Mr Cronkite's opinion was so trusted by the US public that when he criticised the war in Vietnam, President Lyndon B Johnson is reported to have said: "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost middle America." Linda Mason, the vice-president of CBS, said Mr Cronkite had died at 1942 local time (2342 GMT) on Friday after a long illness. Of those attributeshonesty, selflessness, integrity, and vocal cordsperhaps its only his voice that we cannot aspire to. This story already sounds like fiction doesnt it? No streaming internet video, no podcasts, not even a remote control. Cronkite famously reported in 1968 that the government was not being truthful to the American people about the Vietnam War after he went to Vietnam and observed the situation there for himself. I recently listened to Howard Sterns interview with nick Gillespie is owned by the Washington Post )! 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