Campbell sat down with ReasonTV's Nick Gillespie to discuss Cronkite and other myths propelled by the media. Fearless Brands are committed to integrity and trustworthiness. Its so strange to think of that world, says Ward. Events, products or items Trusted Advisor recommends that may be of benefit to you, Some years ago I wrote about a Better New Years Resolution. It was pretty good, if I do say so myself. Once there was a newsman named Walter Cronkite. An honest unbiased reporter would be very refreshing in the current polarized times. Yet, in the silence, with a huge grin his hand taking the horn-rimmed glasses off of eyes nearly filled with tears Walter Cronkite told us all we needed to know. But in fact, thats not the case: As SmartNewsreported in 2012, a man named John Cameron Swayze was called anchor as early as 1948, two years before Cronkite even started in the television business. If so, you owe something to Walter CronkiteAmericas uncle and the most influential broadcast journalist of all time. Despite his objective persona, it was clear to his viewers that Cronkite was a real person with real interests and feelings. Cronkite popularized television news. In celebration of what would have been his hundredth birthday, here are five things to know about the man who defined the news: Cronkites legendary status exists in part because of a persistent myth that he was the first person named anchor of a news program. Her work has appeared in publications like The Washington Post, TIME, mental_floss, Popular Science and JSTOR Daily. Though Rather never said so publicly, CBS News insiders said he did not approve of her appointment. Its hard to see the forest for the trees when all your concerns involve clicks. By Louis Menand. If Cronkite were alive today, he would tearfully lament the political tribalism that permeates through news organizations. The news monopoly the three broadcast networks enjoyed for two decades has been shattered by the three cable news networks, all of which embrace (and thrive on) the controversy that Cronkite eschewed. The most frequent comment, expressed in several ways, was that Cronkite was honest. I apologized again as we walked through the hallways and studio he knew so well. In 2005, Cronkite suffered a great loss when his wife Betsy died of cancer. . He began his career with a commitment to journalism as well. Walter Cronkite was as much a performer as today's cable-news anchors. Over four decades of TV broadcasting, Uncle Walter defined a nations news. The February 1968 assessment by Walter Cronkite, the anchor of the CBS Evening News (known as "the most trusted man in America"), that the conflict was "mired in stalemate" was seen by many as the signal of a sea change in reporting about Vietnam, and it is said to have inspired Pres. When Walter Cronkite signed off by saying And thats the way it is, Friday, November 5, 1972, that actuallywaswhat was important in the world, says Ward. 7. Today, the job he perfected has largely lost its relevance. The decade of the sixties was tumultuous including social unrest, the civil rights movement, Vietnam and the assassinations ofMartin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. Walter Cronkite defined the role of a television news anchor. This means not just that he didnt tell lies, but that he was a truth-seekerhe sought to tell the whole truth. Track my errors: This hand-built RSS feed will ring every time Slate runs a Press Box correction. The terrible truth is that Walter Cronkite symbolized liberal media bias and used that bias with disastrous consequences for our nation and the world. 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. He claimed, I built my reputation on honest, straightforward reporting. In the generation since he left the anchor desk at the CBS Evening News, there have been other public figures who inspire passion, devotion, confidence, intensity and . "He goes to Vietnam. In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, this is how most Americans got their newsand the man who defined this era, more than any other, was Walter Cronkite. Chung's last broadcast as co-anchor was on May 18, 1995. Cronkite became "the most trusted man in America" according to a Gallup Poll, . So What? (E-mail may be quoted by name in The Fray, Slates readers forum; in a future article; or elsewhere unless the writer stipulates otherwise. Being able to read an unbiased article, or watch an unbiased news reporter just seems non-existent in todays society. News of Walter Cronkite's death did not come as a surprise. 399 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116 +1-617-564-3443. 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. Betsy, his wife of forty-five years, died of cancer in 2005. With relentless lobbying, I ended up with a treasure: the NASA press kit Cronkite reportedly used while covering the Apollo 9 and 10 flights. This story already sounds like fiction doesnt it? Mrs. Cronkite looked at me and giggled or blushed or maybe neither. Four years later, on July 17, 2009, at the age of 92, Cronkite died at home in New York City.9 His commentary impacted the lives of hundreds of Americans and he will always be remembered as the most trusted man in America. I remember finding a video on YouTube of him breaking the news of JFKs assassination one time, and I can see why it is still such a famous segment. Trust Inc. Strategies for Building Your Company's Most Valuable Asset. That his passing coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing is less a surprise than a cosmic alignment. One part stood out. Send your reasons for Cronkitian distrust to slate.pressbox@gmail.com and subscribe to my untrustworthy Twitter feed. Walter Cronkite seems to be as notable as todays ABC news anchor David Muir. Cronkites program became Americas most popular television news broadcast. So how and why did Walter Cronkite become . He was an example of what an exemplary journalist should be like. Your ambitious agenda is filling a desperate need.". Cronkite was committed to delivering accurate news, refusing to report stories until they were validated and vetted. Research in communication and psychology clearly shows that to be trusted a communicator has to be seen as knowledgeable and credible. 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. 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. Walter had that effect on people." Cronkite, who anchored "The CBS Evening News" from 1962 to 1981, died last week at the age of 92. 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. His story came to an end in 2009 when he passed away at the age of 92. A few minutes before air, I really needed a cigarette. "He was always the responsible father figure. His enthusiasm and love for journalism are what led him to become known as the most trusted man in America. Trust is a shoddy yardstick. The manner in which Walter delivered those stories genuine, caring, professional established him as a trusted news anchor. Network management put an end to that practice on the very first night. He was one of several reporters assigned to the European theater to cover World War II (WWII). Surface. Many lament the passing of the news era that he represented and helped to shape. Walter Cronkite, former CBS anchor known as "Uncle Walter," has died. It was a different time. | READ MORE. Given the prominent news anchors of today who have reported untrue information in the pursuit of a story that fits with their preconceived agenda, it seems that Cronkite is a different breed from a different timeone that is suspiciously absent in the current broadcast networks. However, once those limitations were removed, Cronkite allowed his passion to ignite. In my opinion, Walter Cronkite is the epitome of ethical and effective journalism. Learning just how tirelessly Cronkite worked to discover the truth and report it as well as he could, its easy to see how he earned his famous epithet. Author Douglas David Brinkley refers often in the book, titled Cronkite, to the anchorman's "most trusted" status. Without such faith, democracy cannot flourish. Huntsburg said he grew up watching Cronkite, who, he said, "touched me." When he heard of Cronkite's death last Friday at 92, Huntsburg and his wife hadn't yet left from their home near Toronto . Walter Cronkite, often referred to as Uncle Walter, delivered hard news to a nation for two decades. Walter Cronkite and the legend of CBS News. In a world saturated with reality TV and tell-all blogs, you have to look harder to see itthat sense of self-reserve, tough but with a soft centerthat used to be middle Americas ideal self-image. Legendary television news anchor Walter Cronkite died Friday night at the age of 92. | He hosted programs such as You Are There and The Twentieth Century. I liked reporting as well. People determine theres a better way to do things and, if theyre right, entire categories can be upended. That may have been god-given; the rest of him was a man who strove to be good, and who showed the rest of us how. As a newsman, his passion was limited to his role of reporter. His popularity and credibility grew to the point that in 1961, he was named anchor of the CBS Evening News. If You Think Im a Joke the Jokes On You! Hewas always the responsible father figure. Read More. 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. Cronkite was an American Broadcaster most famously known for his work on the CBS evening news. Permanent disclosure: Slate is owned by the Washington Post Co.). His voice. Cronkite became a legendary figure and was often called "the most trusted man in America." Fast Facts: Walter Cronkite to see through the carefully crafted party lineon both sidesand get to the truth of the matter. But you can still see it. Oprah Winfrey: Overcoming Adversity to Become a Master Communicator, How Zappos Used Customer Engagement to Build a $2B Brand. One of the key reasons was his integrity. Bill guides individuals and companies alike in building what he refers to as a fearless brand. He had no truck with deconstructionists who believe its all subjective, he was a midwest pragmatist of the William James school. With the help of our community staff & student interns; we interview, document, and create content for global viewing. I finally stopped trying. He studied hard but left school when he realized that he had all he needed to make a living in Journalism. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. Walter Cronkite was born on November 4, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll. Throughout it all, his sign-off line, And thats the way it is became Americas favorite catchphrase.6 Then, a 1972 public opinion poll named Cronkite the most trusted man in America., After his retirement as the CBS Evening News anchor in 1981, he continued his periodic series for the CBS News science magazine, Walter Cronkites Universe, and he hosted Walter Cronkites 20th Century until 1992. Cronkite made a bold decision to step out of his familiar role as impartial anchor and to express views that he said were "speculative, personal, subjective." Yet he was speaking for more than. Advertising Notice Cronkite did his level best not to let his own personal biaseswhatever they weredefine his career, and he actively worked against those biases to determine the truth as objectively as possible. In 1969, Cronkite covered the first moon landing and moonwalk and the following space program with so much enthusiasm that NASA gave him an Ambassador of Exploration award in 2008. 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 Lulu Guadalupe said, he truly laid out the foundation of what great newscasters should be like but alas, they are not. Buy it here. Walter Cronkite. He covered the 1952 presidential elections, and he helped introduce The Beatles to the United States. The security guard didn't fully believe him, but finally let Walter Cronkite in. "Everybody knew that Walter didn't get his suntan in the studio lights." Cronkite. 3.1.2023 5:00 PM, Emma Camp Integrity would not allow that. Nick Gillespie and Tracy Oppenheimer However, once those limitations were removed, Cronkite allowed his passion to ignite. Walter Jr. the only child of Walter, a dentist, and Helen, a homemaker was born on November 4, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. He teared up and showed emotion when he announced JFKs assassination as well. Cronkite covered nearly every American manned spaceflight from 1961 to 1981. The average senator scored 67 percent in the survey, and President Richard Nixoneasily the least trustworthy animal ever to walk on two legsreceived 57 percent, as did Hubert Humphrey. 0 Why the World Trusted Walter. Tracy Oppenheimer is a producer at Reason TV. Walter Cronkite earned the American people's trust by telling them hard truths and refusing to toe the expected line. In 2021 I would probably tell you youre right, but in 1972 this man did exist, and his name was Walter Cronkite. Listening to tribute after tribute by journalists who remember Mr. Cronkite, every reminiscence appears to share the same sentiment: "Walter Cronkite was why I wanted to work in broadcasting." It must have been comforting to have a reliable and trusted reporter in such uncertain times in American History. During that time, he reported on such subjects as the Kennedy assassinations, the Civil Rights . I didnt know much of his personal backstory before I read this article, its crazy what you can learn just by reading! During WWII, Walter Cronkite flew in a real bombing mission over Germany. Then he exclaimed, "Armstrong is on the moon -- Neil Armstrong, 38-year-old American, standing on the surface of the moon." It doesnt gauge truth, it gauges what looks close to the truth: verisimilitude, they write. Used Customer Engagement to Build a $ 2B Brand alike in Building what he refers to a. & student interns ; we interview, document, and create content for global viewing his viewers Cronkite. The foundation of what an exemplary journalist should be like probably tell you youre right, but 1972! 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