Walter Cronkite: 1916-2009

Just after the Paste staff left the office on Friday, it was announced that one of the true greats, Walter Cronkite, legendary reporter and news anchor, had passed away from complications related to dementia. Cronkite, who Americans turned to during such monumental events as man's first step on the moon and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, is an inspiration to all who call themselves journalists. He was 92.

Cronkite was the anchor for the CBS Nightly News for 19 years, ending each of his half-hour broadcasts by saying, "And that's the way it is." He was one of the very first celebrity news anchors, and his impact on viewers was huge. Bill Moyers, an aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson, once wrote that he heard Johnson say, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost middle America."

The trust America put in him was not unfounded, as Cronkite had a rich history in both journalism and television. Not only did he have a paper route like many teenagers at that time, but he also worked at the newspaper he was delivering, serving as a reporter and copy boy for The Houston Post. At the age of 16, Cronkite attended the World's Fair and volunteered to help at a television demonstration.

Even after his retirement from the nightly news in 1981, Cronkite did not leave CBS, hosting Walter Cronkite's Universe, working as a special correspondent and serving on the network's board. Fiercely dedicated to and passionate about journalism and television, he worked on projects with CNN and PBS and made about 60 documentaries.

Throughout it all, Cronkite remained one of the most respected men in the field. Sidney Lumet, who directed the PBS special American Masters on the life on Cronkite, said of the journalist, "He seemed to me incorruptible in a profession that was easily corrupted.”

Related links:
CBSNews.com
YouTube: Obama Remembers Walter Cronkite

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