Walter Cronkite

[packinpatland]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/17/walter.cronkite.dead/index.html

"The most trusted man in America" Walter Cronkite dead at 92"

[Kiwon]

I remember him most clearly totaling the dead and wounded in Vietnam each night on his broadcast.

That was a long time ago. He truly defined an era.

If Tex hated Russert so much then he probably thinks that Uncle Walty was the Emperor of the Dark Side himself.

[SkinBasket]

Finally, a decent and honorable man has passed away. Some may not find him as presidentially important as our beloved pedophilic King of Pop or as sensational as the adulterer Mr. McNair, but he was what most Americans should consider an important part of our collective history.

[digitaldean]

I remember as a little kid being fascinated as he talked about the Apollo missions and the models they used on each mission.

Cronkite when he was on TV showed class, dignity and professionalism. Once in awhile he even got his anger to show, like when CBS reporters were being roughed up at the 1968 Chicago Dem. convention.

TV journalism overall took a major downturn after he retired.

I loved watching re-runs of his older TV news documentaries or shows like "The 20th Century" or "Air Power" which ran on CBS in the 50's and 60's (but were re-ran on A&E in the 80s and 90s)

He was a consummate journalist and will be missed by a profession that is more sensation than substance due to the 24 hour news cycle.

[MJZiggy]

I was so sad when Cronkite retired. I figured news would never be the same and it hasn't been. I don't watch television news anymore...

He was the best of the best.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I could be wrong on this, but I don't think Cronkite really was a journalist. He was a news reader. I don't mean this as a criticism.

I think the idea that news anchors were supposed to be probing, and doing critical thinking came in later. Dan Rather carried-over his field reporter attitude into the studio chair.

Cronkite was very dignified and professional. He was not bland, though, he really was a kind of entertainer with his theatrical voice.

[Rastak]

I could be wrong on this, but I don't think Cronkite really was a journalist. He was a news reader. I don't mean this as a criticism.

I think the idea that news anchors were supposed to be probing, and doing critical thinking came in later. Dan Rather carried-over his field reporter attitude into the studio chair.

Cronkite was very dignified and professional. He was not bland, though, he really was a kind of entertainer with his theatrical voice.


I would have to agree with your take.