And that's the way it was...

Yesterday "America's Most Trusted Man" died at age 92. I've been searching the internet far and wide to find the name of the news break that came on in the middle of Saturday morning cartoons. I remember the sound and the little spinning globe and I will never forget Walter Cronkite. He interrupted my cartoon watching!!! But I eventually began to pay attention to what he said and how he said it. It never occurred to me that he could be wrong. As I look back at his amazing career he rarely was.

A decade after he retired he kept the crown of America's Most Trusted Man, maybe even beyond. His career as a news anchor spanned some of the most historic events our nation has ever seen. His written news career began in 1939, but in 1944 he TAKES part in the Normandy assaults with the allied troops in South Africa. Post WWII he works to establish posts for the United Press in various places overseas. 1950 he came onboard CBS broadcasting company to help establish the television news department in Washington D.C and eventually made his mark on the CBS Evening News.

He saw Presidents of the US and other countries come and go. He covers political conventions and missions to space. He lost composure enough to exclaim "Whew, boy!" as he reported on the moon landing and again as words fail him and tears take over as he announced the death of John F. Kennedy (and it was real, Glenn Beck, no need for Mentholatum to summon tears). He later apologized for the show of emotion as unbecoming a news anchorman. In '65 he went into Vietnam as a war correspondent. His report of what he saw was personal and profound:

"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."
After the broadcast, President Lyndon B. Johnson reportedly said, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost middle America."

He reported on the death of Martin Luther King and race riots and war riots. Spiro Agnew called him biased and Archie Bunker called him a "pinko" (which was probably among the best praise a man could get considering the sources!) He never lost his childlike fascination with space and the missions he reported to us. He reported on Watergate and Reganomics. He came back after retirement to anchor John Glenn's second space flight in '98 (he reported the first in '62) He won numerous awards but one that had to be dear to him was NASA's Ambassador of Exploration Award in 2006. The first non-astronaut to win the award.
In 2004 he offered a commentary in the movie OUTFOXED on the overtly political and alleged unethical practices of Fox news (that we still SOOOOOO enjoy *sarcasm*)
In 2005 he lost his wife of nearly 65 years but he lived to see the historic day that America elected it's first black President into office. President Barack Obama who had this to say about his passing:

For decades, Walter Cronkite was the most trusted voice in America. His rich baritone reached millions of living rooms every night, and in an industry of icons, Walter set the standard by which all others have been judged.

He was there through wars and riots, marches and milestones, calmly telling us what we needed to know. And through it all, he never lost the integrity he gained growing up in the heartland.

But Walter was always more than just an anchor. 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. He was family. He invited us to believe in him, and he never let us down.

This country has lost an icon and a dear friend, and he will be truly missed.

In a world of 24 hour news, where people the likes of Perez Hilton, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh can make or break people and be paid millions of dollars to do so. Where tears come cheap and news is reported from a lazy boy recliner. We've lost sight of the integrity of the press. It's freedom abused and twisted into a mockery. Racism and hatred is manipulated and it's victims are often self serving. Never having fought for their rights as a soldier of our country. We have so few Rosa Parks, Bobby Kennedys, Martin Luther Kings. We are spoiled, indulged and lazy.
No, the news didn't die yesterday. The news died when the anchor on the screen no longer could say "And that's the way it is".
Walter Cronkite ended each report with those words and we knew we could trust him because he'd been there. The greatest newsman of all time died yesterday, and those who remember him mourn. The newsman that can be trusted died a long time ago.
Rest in Peace Walter Cronkite.


For a complete time line of his career visit: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/walter-cronkite/career-timeline/562/

*I found the PBS show he created called 'Why In The World?' but I don't remember if that is what the Saturday morning news breaks were called. It doesn't sound right, though.