why was walter cronkite so trustedwhy was walter cronkite so trusted

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. Indeed, his modesty and his dedication were the reasons his wide audience liked him so much and trusted him. "There never was and there never will be another Walter Cronkite. Alas, the NewsHours Cronkite-lite approach has failed to attract much of an audience. Cronkite got his start in radio, then became a correspondent for United Press. I didnt know that he grew up in Houston, thats pretty cool! Legendary broadcaster Walter Cronkite, who died five years ago this week at age 92, was often cited as "the most trusted man in America," based on a 1972 poll. A new biography of Walter Cronkite reveals the less trustworthy side of the most trusted man in America. "Indeed, a bunch of people were running around but I got to the chair in time for the broadcast." At the CBS News Broadcast Center, and throughout the news business, Walter Cronkite largely defined the ethical and journalistic standards that engendered the trust of a nation. 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. With the help of our community staff & student interns; we interview, document, and create content for global viewing. Walter Cronkite, longtime anchor of the CBS Evening News. Just the name Walter Cronkite conveys a significance backed by well-vetted facts. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. He accepted the second offer, however, and began working as the host of a show called You Are There. In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a former defense consultant, leaked the Pentagon Papers, a set of documents that provided evidence of systematic government wrongdoing and deception throughout the war. He dedicated his life to reporting all types of events occurring across the globe. Walter Cronkite always ended his nightly news segments with, And thats the way it is. Cronkite also witnessed D-day from above, covered Operation Market after landing by paraglider with paratroopers, and witnessed the Battle of the Bulge. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? Subscription Preferences He kept his own counsel; until and unless he felt there was no alternative but to share it. For years I tried to improve on it, and never could. The definition of trust is even more contextual; there are dozens of meanings of trust, yet we nearly always recognize them when we see them. This story is about the most trusted man in America. As I prepared to whisk him off, a security guard at the front desk stopped him. It was his integrity and commitment to fair reporting which established him as the most trusted man in America. March on the Pentagon 50 Years Later. Coach, International Speaker and Thought Partner - Bills mission is to add value to the world one brand at a time. Cronkite also refused to report stories until they were validated. In 1968, he goes to Vietnam and does a documentary, Ward says. Your email address will not be published. How did Cronkite join this popularity list in the first place? "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. For more than a month, his close friends and family made it clear the former CBS News anchorman was gravely ill and would not recover. His global experiences, his positive public presence, his attitude towards reporting the news truthfully and objectively, and his grandfatherly demeanor, all make him the prime dream team candidate. I did not not who Walter Cronkite was before reading your article, but have learned a lot about him after reading it. 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. Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to ReasonTV's YouTube Channel to receive automatic updates when new stories go live. But as USA Today reports, the FBI destroyed part of Cronkites file instead of preserving it. And they'll be looking for me." Uncle Walters word was gold.. His college career lasted only two years. Cronkite refused, but the idea reflected polls showing that a journalist -- a television journalist at that -- had become the most trusted man in America. He did not let his political views get in the way of his reporting. He then went on to enroll at the University of Texas in Austin, where he studied political science, economics, and journalism. 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.". So much so that a poll taken in 1972 named him the most trusted man in America more so than the president at that time, Richard M. Nixon. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? Learn more at erinblakemore.com. 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? As we mourn "the most trusted man in America" we also mourn the kind of television news that no longer exists. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); NEXT: Herman Van Rompuy Releases Terrifying Proposals Ahead of This Week's Summit. If so, you owe something to Walter CronkiteAmericas uncle and the most influential broadcast journalist of all time. Well, in he came to the same building he hosted his broadcast for 19 years. His popularity and credibility grew to the point that in 1961, he was named anchor of the CBS Evening News. He hears one thing from the generals, and then he walks around and talks to GIs and Vietnamese, and he realizes theres a disconnect.. Walter was very lucky, because soon after moving, he read an article inBoys Lifemagazine which chronicled the adventures and assignments of reporters working around the world. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Joseph Stromberg was previously a digital reporter for Smithsonian. Cronkite was a firm believer in doing what is fair. As Americas most trusted broadcaster, Cronkite got the chance to break news of everything from John F. Kennedys assassination to the first moonwalk. Without such faith, democracy cannot flourish. Walter Cronkite was the embodiment of true journalism factual, genuine, fair and accurate reporting. A bright blue flower in her hair, matching her blue outfit. Hewas always the responsible father figure. Cronkite's heartbreaking report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy became one of the most famous news reports in television history. He was 92. Other reasons we shouldnt have trusted Cronkite. Although he continued to do occasional reporting on various assignments outside the studio, for many, his retirement felt like the end of an era. After all, true journalists worked in print and radio. Track my errors: This hand-built RSS feed will ring every time Slate runs a Press Box correction. In the days ahead, we will celebrate the men who first walked on the moon and the anchor who took us there with them. What do you think? Author Douglas David Brinkley refers often in the book, titled Cronkite, to the anchorman's "most trusted" status. As much as the public may have trusted Cronkite, he didnt top all surveys. 6.26.2012 11:34 AM. Cronkite was the face of CBS from 1962 to 1981. It was this Cooper-like reserve that gave him such power on the few occasions he did weigh in with a Big Opinion. Big blonde hair. Lyndon B. Johnson to state, "If I've lost . Thats where the family lived until moving to Houston, Texas when Walter was 10-years-old. 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. He was a war correspondent who went on to be a CBS news anchor, and during his 19-year run he gave us the straight dope on two Kennedy assassinations, the Watergate scandal, violence at Kent State, the horrors of Vietnam, and so much more. Cronkite stayed in the Kansas City area until he was 10. . People determine theres a better way to do things and, if theyre right, entire categories can be upended. Two months later, it was Walter who broke the news to the American public that Kennedy had been shot. Terms of Use He was someone we could trust to guide us through the most important issues of the day; a voice of certainty in an uncertain world," President Obama. 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. Cronkite first became synonymous with trust in 1972, when the Oliver Quayle and Co. poll included his name in a list of public figures to determine a trust index. Cronkite topped the rankings with 73 percent, which seemed impressive until you considered the skunks polled alongside him. Well never know everything that was in his FBI file. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine 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. "There was a reason why Walter was called the most . "Walter was always more than just an anchor. I feared I would never meet the man who inspired so many of us. By Louis Menand. Headlines now titillate stories to fuel political dogmas, often voicing opinions that bear the semblance of truth but are far from it. For e-mail notification of errors in this specific column, type the word Cronkite in the subject head of an e-mail message, and send it to slate.pressbox@gmail.com. He wasn't the most educated or the best-looking newsman, but he was perhaps the most diligent. 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. I ran down to the lobby of the CBS News Broadcast Center to escort Mr. Cronkite to a studio. 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. Permanent disclosure: Slate is owned by the Washington Post Co.). 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. The CBS News security man began to protest but saw a murderous look in my eye and wisely let us pass. Yet the "most trusted man in America" seemed rather pleased he wasn't recognized at his own front door. 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. Integrity would not allow that. Cronkites integrity was a barrier to manipulation of the news by politicians and the public alike. While in college, he worked as a part-time journalist for the Houston newspaper. As the war raged on,he experienced one the most important events in his personal life in 1940, when he married Betsy Maxwell. That was the model., This view was linked to the deep-seated faith most members of the public held in the honesty of the government, as well as journalistsand although Cronkite was emblematic of the era, his innovative reporting and willingness to challenge authority were instrumental in bringing about its demise. 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. Cronkite, born November 4, 1916, got his start in journalism working as a radio announcer for a series of stations in Missouri. A baritone drenched in overtones conveyed each of those character traits. Walter Cronkite was born on November 4, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Walter Cronkite was a great man, a great journalist, and a great reporter. He passed away when I was a freshman in college, but I can't help thinking of him today because I know he would be so proud of this moment. Cronkite stood out from his peers because of his commitment to truth and objectivity in journalism. He's being remembered as the "father of television news," as . The power of the voice of an unbiased reporter symbolizes the importance of understanding all news, good and bad, at home and abroad. The Web, which can make the cable news channels look positively Cronkitian, has only reshattered the shards. 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. Forty years ago, a man walked on the Moon. For almost two decades, after all, weve been meeting like this in the evenings, and Ill miss that., Joseph Stromberg #1 Honesty. 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