The world of journalism, and the world at large, suffered a great loss last night with the death of legendary newsman Walter Cronkite. He was 92 years old.
Cronkite has been called "the most trusted man in America" because of his journalistic integrity and appealing demeanor.
On a professional level, I think of him as a "journalist's journalist". He was fearless in seeking out the truth about the current events of the day. In covering World War II, he was right there alongside our troops flying bombing raids over Germany.
And he had a way with words, a seemingly easy ability to turn a poetic phrase in a compelling intro to the serious stories of the day.
After his retirement, we still heard from him. But, by that point, Cronkite was free to share his personal commentary on the issues of the day. And he did. He criticized George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq, he took issue with the political agenda of the religious right, and he denounced Fox News as "a far-right-wing organization". And he did so with intelligent, rational insight.
As a journalist, Cronkite is one of my professional heroes. As a human being, he is one of my personal heroes.
May he rest in peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment