Walter Cronkite, the anchorman for a nation. CBS News photos.
by Mark Silva
Walter Cronkite, who not only delivered the evening news, but also imparted a sense of security amid turmoil and wisdom amid chaos, passed away today at the age of 92.
Cronkite, the CBS newsman of newsmen, mourned when the nation lost its young president, soared when the nation reached the moon and warned the nation when its war had gone awry. And he held an American audience like none that ever followed his.
He was, CBS suggests today, "the reporter for whom the term 'anchorman' was coined.'' He ruled in an era when all the nation had was three TV networks He reluctantly relinquished his role when CBS demanded retirement at 65, nearly three decades ago, but remained unrivaled as the modern era's most revered newsman.
As anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from 1962 to 1981, Cronkite walked the nation through some of the biggest stories of the time. In 1973, a poll found that he was the most trusted public figure in America. In 1995, he still was.
Cronkite was a wire service reporter and a war reporter who worked the front line of news before TV ever created the crown of an anchor's desk. He took over the network's evening news from Douglas Edwards on April 16, 1962. He eventually overcame the competition, NBC News' Huntley-Brinkley Report.
For the wires, he covered World War II and the Korean War. For a television audience, he reported from the floor of the 1952 Republican National Convention in Chicago. For a daytime TV audience, he reported live on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and wiped a tear from his eye.
He also went to Vietnam, following the Tet Offensive of 1968, to see the conflict for himself, and returned to declare the war a quagmire. President Lyndon Johnson, watching that report, is said to have declared that if he had lost Cronkite he had lost the American public. Johnson did not run for reelection.
Cronkite reported on the American moon-landing and walk 40 years ago with an exultant, almost childlike, "oh boy'' on the air.
CBS News tells this story tonight:
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was born in St. Joseph, Mo., on Nov. 4, 1916. He attended the University of Texas at Austin for two years while juggling writing jobs for the Houston Press and Scripps-Howard as a state Capitol reporter. He dropped out after two years to pursue his journalism and broadcasting interests, which included working as a sports announcer for a radio station in Oklahoma City before joining the United Press in 1937.
Cronkite became a war correspondent for United Press when World War II broke out, landing with the invading Allied troops in North Africa, covering the battle of the North Atlantic in 1942 and taking part in the Normandy beachhead assaults.
He landed in Holland by glider with the 101st Airborne Division in 1944 and later was with Gen. Patton's Third Army covering the Battle of the Bulge. He was one of the first newsmen to fly on B 17 raids over Germany launched from England. While in London, he met legendary CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow, who offered him a job as a radio correspondent.
Cronkite turned down the opportunity to be one of "Murrow's Boys" when his boss at United Press countered Murrow's offer with a modest raise he felt obliged to take. He went on to cover the German surrender, the Nuremberg trials and re-open several bureaus in Europe before becoming chief correspondent for United Press in Moscow.
The next time Murrow offered, Cronkite jumped at the chance to cover the Korean War for CBS News and joined its Washington bureau in 1950. He never got to Korea, however, as a temporary role anchoring the news for the CBS local television station, WTOP, showed off talents CBS News brass thought would be better employed as a Washington correspondent. This led to news division head Sig Mickelson picking Cronkite to lead convention and election coverage - the start of the central role he would play in CBS News for the next 30 years.
When Cronkite stepped down from his anchor duties on March 6, 1981, he was succeeded by Dan Rather.
Cronkite became a special correspondent and hosted several CBS documentary programs, including the Emmy Award winning "Children of Apartheid" and the CBS News science magazine series "Walter Cronkite's Universe.''
Comments
And that's the way it is.
Goodnight, "Uncle" Walt. RIP.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | July 17, 2009 9:05 PM
A titan has passed.
Posted by: ornery | July 17, 2009 9:37 PM
Walter Cronkite represents what journalism used to be and still should be, absolute truth telling with no regard to what or whom it may offend.
Faux News should be banned from covering Mr. Cronkites death. Many times in his later years Mr. Cronkite expressed his dismay with the way Rupert Murdoch has destroyed journalism in America with lies and right-wing spin.
R I P - Walter Cronkite, and that's the way it is.
Posted by: If you want to know what's really going on, turn off Rush and don't watch Faux | July 17, 2009 10:43 PM
Walter Cronkite truly was one of a kind. As an anchor and journalist he worked hard to be impartial. One could not tell his political viewpoint, as it should have been. As years went by in his "retirement," he let down that veil and was known to be a liberal. Regardless, throughout his career he was professional and as objective as one could be. He was a titan and a legend. He was Uncle Walter. Rest in peace, Uncle Walt. God bless.
Posted by: John D | July 17, 2009 11:28 PM
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Edward R. Murrow's "See It Now" broadcast that started the unraveling of the father of modern Republicanism (Joseph McCarthy)....Walter Cronkite made a pointed critique on the idiocy of the Bush era and the bankruptcy of modern journalism (Faux News, Limbaugh etc).
Cronkite flatly stated that when journalists knew something about Bush and Cheny's Iraq lies they needed to be broadcasted on air or in print and they needed to tell it straight and in the right context.
It showcased Cronkite's recognition of reality late into his 80s, his brilliance as a story-teller, and his fundamental decency as a human being.
Cronkite also told Bush Jr to end his trumped up war in Iraq, a little late, yet no corporate media anchor in this day and age did that.
Walter Cronkite op-ed: Our Troops Must Leave Iraq
.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/04/5598
Posted by: Hope-n-Change | July 18, 2009 1:12 AM
Wow, another famous person to leave. Walter (referred to as "Uncle Walt") was a great man that knew how to deliver news. I wish these noobs nowadays had such skills. Prayers to Walter's family and friends. In his memory, for his fans I have collected some great sites and articles (more than 200) to know all about Walter Cronkite. If you are interested take a look at the below link
http://markthispage.blogspot.com/2009/07/walter-cronkite-another-famous-person.html
Posted by: Sri | July 18, 2009 4:31 AM
WHEN news was news and opinions were kept to themselves........
Posted by: the independent | July 18, 2009 7:48 AM
Why is it that the demented souls known as the Loony Left always have to inject their hatred into everything, even in items about someone's death. In regard to coverage of Cronkite's death, FOX News has been very professional, as usual.
If we want to talk about real "feaux" news, how about CBS (Cronkite's former network), in which its one-time anchor and a "news" producer were basically fired for making up a story. Or how about MSNBC, true "feaux" news as that network operates in only two truths: lies and hate.
Hey, here's an idea" Let's keep this about Walter and his professionalism and not the delusions and hatred that is a 24/7 lifestyle for the Loons from the Left.
Posted by: John D | July 18, 2009 9:38 AM
We've had 3 weeks of 24/7 coverage of Michael Jackson's death.
Bet when you add it all up, I'll bet there won't be than 3 hours for Walter Cronkite.
What a sad world we live in.
RIP Walter.
Posted by: David J | July 18, 2009 10:34 AM
Why is it that the demented souls known as the Loony Left always have to inject their hatred into everything
Posted by: John D | July 18, 2009 9:38 AM
-----------------------------------
.
Lil' Johnny Herpes,
Look in the mirror, you mental midget.
R I P - Walter Cronkite
Posted by: janet | July 18, 2009 1:23 PM
Lil' Johnny Herpes,
Look in the mirror, you mental midget.
R I P - Walter Cronkite
Posted by: janet | July 18, 2009 1:23 PM
Oh Dumb Dumb Janet, er I mean the shackeled demented one stuck in mumsy and dadsy's basement, John E., if anyone has any kind of STD around here, I'd put my money on you. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that you're just a plain Walking Disease -- period! Clearly you get jollies by polluting the world with your sicknesses.
Posted by: John D | July 18, 2009 9:23 PM
The mirror's that scary, huh?
"Oh Dumb Dumb Janet, er I mean the shackeled demented one stuck in mumsy and dadsy's basement, John E., if anyone has any kind of STD around here, I'd put my money on you. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that you're just a plain Walking Disease -- period! Clearly you get jollies by polluting the world with your sicknesses.
Posted by: John D"
Posted by: David | July 19, 2009 10:44 AM
"In regard to coverage of Cronkite's death, FOX News has been very professional..." Posted by: John D
John D(ittohead), why wouldn't they? Cronkite wasn't a left wing ideologue or a politician; nor was he black or hispanic. As usual, you make no sense.
Posted by: Flo | July 19, 2009 11:06 AM
Mean-spiritedness on the UAW, Terrorists, & Walter Cronkite
If what follows seems un-Christian and unforgiving, so be it.
UAW Woes: Times are tough in Detroit and wherever else United Auto Workers live or used to work. I have great empathy for anyone, UAW member or no, who have lost their jobs and who may never regain them.
The UAW people most probably will never get another job with the pay scales and bennies they reveled in at GM, Chrysler, and Ford.
Hourly pay in excess of $70, unrivalled health care, sick days, and pensions, right of refusal to transfer, 80% salary when they so refuse, even a UAW country club to help make their cares go away, were just the tip of the iceberg of life as an autoworker who typically earned his position by graduating high school.
The UAW knowingly drove their companies into bankruptcy with their rapacious demands and even then produced vehicles notorious for shoddy workmanship that all but begged the Japanese, Germans, and South Koreans to come on over and win the allegiance of the American car-buyer.
The foreigners obliged, eventually overcame the bloated aristocracy and over-indulged peons of the UAW and captured larger and larger slices of the American car-pie market. Then GM and Chrysler went bust and Ford is now treading water.
Undismayed, the companies turned to whom else but the guy they had bought in the last election and he paid them back. Obama gave GM to the UAW and helped give Chrysler to the Italians: http://bit.ly/7qZIy.
Recall the days not very far back when the judicious car-buyer was warned not to buy a vehicle which rolled off assembly lines on a Monday or Friday when subs filled in for the thousands of absent UAW members? Payback can be a bitch, but not always in the USA.
Times are tough all over but the UAW and the auto narons brought on their own plight. Many workers may end up repairing fridges or servicing Fiats but all can take solace in the knowledge that the American taxpayer bailed out their profligacy.
Even temporary victory must be sweet.
Terrorist Ultimata: Last week brought some distressing news. ”The Guantanamo war court stalled again overnight when the five men accused of the Sept 11 attacks refused to leave their cells for a hearing at the remote US base in Cuba. ”
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and his trusty comrades in arms, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, are accused of conspiracy to murder civilians on September 11th, 2001 and have proudly admitted their responsibility. However, in a semi-final act of sheer contempt for America, they’re being un-cooperative.
Oh, really?
These (accused) dregs of humanity thought it all over and decided they will not make an appearance before an American court of justice? These (alleged) murderers of thousands of Americans chose not to attend their hearings unless they were permitted to make opening statements? These (suspected) terrorists are allowed to dictate their own terms?
Excuse me?
I don’t know who is more unbelievable in this farce. Is it the American government and prosecutors who entertained the thought of that boycott for more time than it took them to recover from guffawing or the snarling terrorists who sought to ridicule and abuse our justice system?
Since we can’t do this to those Americans, I suggest we shackle, muzzle, and drag the accused kicking and screaming beneath . . .
(Read the rest at http://genelalor.com)
Posted by: Berlet98 | July 21, 2009 1:03 PM