He began his career with a commitment to journalism as well. In 1950, Cronkite finally joined CBS after numerous offers. My grandmother used to tell me about Cronkite and his reporting. 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. 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 . 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. Your Privacy Rights If Cronkite were alive today, he would tearfully lament the political tribalism that permeates through news organizations. Walter Jr. the only child of Walter, a dentist, and Helen, a homemaker was born on November 4, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. In 2019, cable news simulates a round-robin of screaming more than the news. That is simply basic journalism. Sadly thats a rather quaint concept today. Cronkite was a firm believer in doing what is fair. During an interview conducted by Walter, EgyptsAnwar El-Sadat stated that he would go to Jerusalem to meet with IsraeliPrime Minister Menachem Begin if invited. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. He was one of several reporters assigned to the European theater to cover World War II (WWII). Cronkite was known for his calming presence and his ability to communicate complex events to the average viewer, who trusted "Uncle Walter" to explain the major events of the era. Big blonde hair. Walter Cronkite seems to be as notable as todays ABC news anchor David Muir. 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. Cronkite stood out from his peers because of his commitment to truth and objectivity in journalism. 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. I enjoyed this article, had good history of someone who made history. He hears one thing from the generals, and then he walks around and talks to GIs and Vietnamese, and he realizes theres a disconnect.. Here it is again, not-so-new-and-improved, but still pretty good, I think. He claimed, "I built my reputation on honest, straightforward reporting. Embrace Cronkites approach be true to yourself and your profession, be fair, commit to a life of integrity be a fearless brand. For me, its a moment for which I long have planned, but which, nevertheless, comes with some sadness. However, once those limitations were removed, Cronkite allowed his passion to ignite. But the passing of the man known universally as The Most Trusted Man in America also offers us one last chance to learn from him. He was true not only to himself but to his profession as well. 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. It is nice to know that at one point we had a news reporter who cared about honest straightforward reporting and avoided involving his own political views about events that were occurring in America and outside the country. (E-mail may be quoted by name in The Fray, Slates readers forum; in a future article; or elsewhere unless the writer stipulates otherwise. Turn on the TV, and watch one of three networks for a 30-minute broadcast with an anchor who speaks with the authority of a religious leader or founding father. Although he continued to do occasional reporting on various assignments outside the studio, for many, his retirement felt like the end of an era. Part of HuffPost Media. What Made Walter Cronkite The Most Trusted Communicator in America? Unfortunately, that trend did not last very long, but it defined his journalistic career or Cronkite and cemented his reputation for telling it like it is.. So how and why did Walter Cronkite become . | I'm glad I was soon proved wrong. Cronkites integrity was a barrier to manipulation of the news by politicians and the public alike. 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. The best show recs delivered to your inbox. I think he was so trusted because he exhibited a sense of purpose and compassion, night after night. Days later he made the very poignant announcement that Kennedy had died. The news today, regardless of political affiliation, more closely resembles professional wrestling crossed with a high school grapevine. Walter Cronkites iconic sign-off and thats the way it is was taken at face value by the nation. And every article, blog or TV clip mentions how Walter Cronkite was so trusted. I doubt it. Ever genial and humble, Walter Cronkite laughed. In 1974, before the Cronkite-equals-trust clich took root, the Phillips-Sindlinger organization conducted a nationwide poll to determine viewers attitudes toward the top TV newscasters. I did not not who Walter Cronkite was before reading your article, but have learned a lot about him after reading it. The most frequent comment, expressed in several ways, was that Cronkite was honest. Haven't got the Fieldbook yet? As I discussed in an earlier post Want to know that youre right? Track my errors: This hand-built RSS feed will ring every time Slate runs a Press Box correction. The CBS News veterans furry baritone, the consistency of his demeanor, the steady gaze of his eyenot to mention the news scripts he read to his audience five nights a weekall inspired deep confidence, the eulogists asserted. Cronkite himself, would die in 2009 at the age of 92. Trust is a shoddy yardstick. 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. Be true to yourself and your profession Walter Cronkite realized his purpose early in life. McLaughlin, who . (Assuming, of course, that the public did regard Cronkite as the nations most trustworthy man.). He became the anchorman of American televisions first half-hour news program at night. But one of his lesser-known jobs included a make-believe sidekicka lion named Charlemagnein a short-lived CBS show designed to compete with The Today Show. All that endures of my connection with CBS first morning showis that I conversed with a puppet, the newsman wrote wryly in his memoir. A reporter of the old school, he believed that there was such a thing as the truth, and his job was to find it. He was emotional when history was made and was able to air it along with the public to the public. Coach, International Speaker and Thought Partner - Bills mission is to add value to the world one brand at a time. Youd think a man as prestigious as Walter Cronkite might have finished a degree at Yale. Paul essentially replied that no, that was just John being John, that once you accepted that as [], The Trust Quotient and the Science Behind It, High-Stakes Trust Intervention and Executive Coaching, Stewart Hirsch, Senior Coach Business Development and Executive Leadership, http://trustedadvisor.com/public/trusted_advisor1.png, Why Walter Cronkite Was the Most Trusted Man in America. Thank you for this article, many of us likely know the name Walter Cronkite but Id be lying if Id said I knew the full breadth of his career and his contributions to American journalism. 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. After all, true journalists worked in print and radio. "And thats the way it is" was his aspirational statementto state the truth, which he felt was independent of our knowledge of itand to share it with the rest of us. This is the process of discovering, embracing and delivering their greatest value which allows them to realize greater profit. Walter Cronkite was a journalist who defined the role of network anchorman during the decades when television news rose from being the neglected stepchild of radio to a dominant form of journalism. Let me share a brief encounter with the newsman everyone knew: Did I say "everyone?" I apologized again as we walked through the hallways and studio he knew so well. As the Seattle Times said when Cronkite died at the age of 92 in 2009, You could take it to the bank and pay bills with it. Two months later, it was Walter who broke the news to the American public that Kennedy had been shot. I remember siting with my mom watching the news with her. What wont diminish are the lessons which can be learned from Cronkite about building a brand and achieving success. An undated image of CBS newscaster Walter Cronkite, has his arm wrapped around wife, Betsy, arriving for a private party with his daughters Kathy and Nancy (right) at . It isn't enough to say that he was the "most trusted man in America," as. "1968 is one of the most talked about years in U.S. history because of all the upheaval, and Cronkite plays a central role in that year, right out of the gate," Brinkley said. Not a hint of self-promotion, no self-serving cause, no work in service to his own ego or career. In addition I was also inspired to how much of a difference a journalist can truly make. Thats where the family lived until moving to Houston, Texas when Walter was 10-years-old. According to polls, he was the most trusted man in Americamore than the first lady, the Pope or the president.. The news business has both expanded and fragmented in the post-Cronkite, post-Fairness Doctrine era. Author Douglas David Brinkley refers often in the book, titled Cronkite, to the anchorman's "most trusted" status. Source: IMDB, Walter Cronkite during his time as a war correspondent during WWII. If only half of the American people believed him, he never would have been called "the most trusted man in America." On the CBS Evening News, it was Eric Sevareid, not Cronkite, who did commentary. An honest unbiased reporter would be very refreshing in the current polarized times. But the lack of real-world experience has put perspective in short supply, and the public's interest in reading things that simply confirm their own views has put news outlets in a tough spot. Both expanded and fragmented in the current polarized times man in Americamore than the first lady, Pope..., International Speaker and Thought Partner - Bills mission is to add value to public. Cronkite as the nations most trustworthy man. ) Cronkites iconic sign-off and thats the way it was. 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