Walter Cronkite, Iconic Anchorman, Dies

[Ivan Seeking]

Walter Cronkite, an iconic CBS News journalist who defined the role of anchorman for a generation of television viewers, died Friday at the age of 92, his family said.

“My father Walter Cronkite died,” his son Chip said just before 8 p.m. Eastern. CBS interrupted prime time programming to show an obituary for the man who defined the network’s news division for decades.

Mr. Cronkite’s family said last month that he was seriously ill with cerebrovascular disease.

Mr. Cronkite anchored the “CBS Evening News” from 1962 to 1981, at a time when television became the dominant medium of the United States...

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/walter-cronkite-iconic-anchorman-dies/

 

[GeorginaS]

Wow. I read this thread title and said, "Really?" out loud. Cronkite just seemed as if he'd be around forever. He lived a long life and was certainly well respected.

 

[Redbelly98]

"And that's the way it is."

 

[Pengwuino]

I feel a whole generation of people applying for life insurance these days.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

The last time I heard him was when he roasted Hoagland on Coast to Coast for his birthday. That was great.

 

[edward]

We just lost the most trusted man in America.

 

[Astronuc]

Cronkite remembered as 'honorable' and 'an icon'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090718/ap_on_re_us/us_obit_walter_cronkite

. . . .
A former wire service reporter and war correspondent, Cronkite valued accuracy, objectivity and understated compassion. He expressed liberal views in more recent writings but said he had always aimed to be fair and professional in his judgments on the air.

But when Cronkite took sides, he helped shape the times. After the 1968 Tet offensive, he visited Vietnam and wrote and narrated a "speculative, personal" report advocating negotiations leading to the withdrawal of American troops.

"We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders, both in Vietnam and Washington, to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds," he said, and concluded, "We are mired in stalemate."

. . . .

. . . he repeatedly condemned television practices that put entertainment values ahead of news judgment.

"Broadcast journalism is never going to substitute for print," he said. "We cannot cover in depth in a half hour many of the stories required to get a good understanding of the world."

. . . .

He was the main reason my father and I watch CBS news. We pretty much stopped watching it after Dan Rather became anchor.

It would nice to have more journalists like Cronkite - those who really question what's going on rather than sensationalize the news.

I certainly remember him on TV broadcasting during the first Apollo moonlanding on July 20, 1969.

 

[Loren Booda]

Walter leaves us humbly, contrary to Michael's last blast. Were their respective sendoffs befitting their accomplishments?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Walter leaves us humbly, contrary to Michael's last blast. Were their respective sendoffs befitting their accomplishments?

I'm not sure. Arguably, Jackson was far more influencial from a humanitarian perspective.

Michael Jackson is a true humanitarian, an example to us all. He has devoted much time and money to a wide range of charities. He loves children and takes time out when touring secretly visting sick children. He also has special rooms at his home Neverland for sick and terminally ill children to stay over. He was listed in the 2000 edition of the Guiness Book Of World Records for breaking the world record for the "Most Charities Supported By a Pop Star". It states that Michael Jackson has supported 39 charity organizations either with monetary donations through sponsorships of their projects or by participating in their silent auction.

We have made an alphabetical list of known charities that Michael Jackson has individualy supported publically throughout his career. Michael Jackson also helped set up Heal The World Foundation, the charities this has supported have not been listed. Read our Heal The World/kids page for details of this foundation.

AIDS Project L.A.
American Cancer Society
Angel Food
Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles
BMI Foundation, Inc.
Brotherhood Crusade
Brothman Burn Center
Camp Ronald McDonald
Childhelp U.S.A.
Children's Institute International
Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund
Community Youth Sports & Arts Foundation
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)
Dakar Foundation
Dreamstreet Kids
Dreams Come True Charity
Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
Love Match
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Minority Aids Project
Motown Museum
NAACP
National Rainbow Coalition
Rotary Club of Australia
Society of Singers
Starlight Foundation
The Carter Center's Atlanta Project
The Sickle Cell Research Foundation
Transafrica
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
United Negro College Fund Ladder's of Hope
Volunteers of America
Watts Summer Festival
Wish Granting
YMCA - 28th Street/Crenshaw

http://www.allmichaeljackson.com/charities.html

 

[Loren Booda]

Many of us will now remember Michael for his good works and Walter for our trust in him.