“And that’s the way it is” by Rich Paschall
With so many questionable sources of news in the world, who do you trust to give you reliable and up to date information? At one time there was a radio, television, newspapers, and your grandma’s gossip across the back fence. You may also have had a few barroom buddies who seemed to be pretty up to date on the happenings in the nation and even the world. Now that there are so many more options, how do you know who to trust and what to believe? Network news? Cable news? Twitter posts?
Perhaps you still rely on Aunt Mildred. She always seems to be well-read and has a tidbit of news on everything. When she shows up at family gatherings she can easily dazzle those who would sit down to listen. She always shows up early to the parties and is willing to stay until the very end, as long as there are snacks and highballs around. Her whiskey-fueled news items show the great recall she has from the supermarket publications she picks up regularly. Sometimes she also gets the Sunday papers, but that is more for the store coupons than the news.
Then there is cousin Billy, also a regular at the family gatherings. He tries not to get into arguments with Aunt Mildred because her vocabulary is better than his. However, you just know he is right about his views of America. His sources may seem a bit murky, but if you can not trust someone you practically grew up with, who can you trust?
Your nephew Chad is probably much more up to date than the others because he is on social media all the time, reading up on politics, rock bands, and underwear ads. He often shows you those clever memes that contain some of the best quotes for your education on the latest issues. If you mention a topic, Chad can find a meme, video, or highly respected blog that will educate you on what you need to know. At least the blogs are highly respected by Chad, and you respect Chad, don’t you? (Chad respects this blog.)
When I was younger (much younger) and staying with my grandparents, dinner had to be finished by 5:30 PM so that my grandfather could get to his favorite chair. We lived in the Central Time Zone and the CBS Evening News came on early. It was OK because it fit right into their retirement schedule. My grandparents had been farmers and were used to early breakfast and lunch, so 5 PM dinner did not seem too early. Their main source of news was a Monday through Friday evening broadcast.
It was not just that it was a news program. There were others at that time. He could have watched the venerable team of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. He could have tuned to Howard K Smith and Harry Reasoner. But my grandfather only followed the man who came to be known as the most trusted man in America. Many years of news broadcasting had led one man to the top of his field.
Walter Cronkite Jr. was a broadcast journalist who started his career in 1937 covering major news events around the globe. Later he covered NASA and brought us all the early successes and some failures of the space program. You could rely on Walter to describe the event and educate you on space all at the same time. It was the facts that he brought to broadcast, not the spin.
Real journalism
In 1962 he became the anchorman of the CBS Evening News and the main face of the news division. If there was an important story, Walter told us about it. With a confident and authoritative tone and a grandfatherly face, people came to trust him with the news. In fact, as his tenure on the evening news went on, polls began to show that it was not a politician or entertainer that people trusted most, it was Walter.
In 1963 I recall watching Walter as he told us all about the assassination of President Kennedy and the events that followed. No, I did not see the earliest broadcasts live, I was in grade school. But I did see all that followed. I have seen the early footage many times since in documentaries, as Walter had to tell a nation that the President was dead. To this day that broadcast will evoke tears.
“President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time.”
Walter advised us of what was going on in Viet Nam. Did it help turn a nation against the war? Walter told us about Watergate extensively. Did it help lead to the downfall of a President? If he influenced public opinion, it was not because he twisted the facts or spun their meaning, it was because he reported them.
After 19 years, Walter Cronkite retired from the CBS Evening News. CBS had a mandatory retirement age of 65 then. Today they would probably let him go on as long as ratings were good. He lived to be 92 and remained active for many years after “retirement.”
Are there any broadcasters today that enjoy the trust of American people like Walter Leland Cronkite Jr.? Yes, I know the answer to that. Everyone seems to be interpreting rather than just reporting. They all appear to have a point of view and we may trust them about as much as we trust Aunt Mildred. Of course, there are a few that trust Aunt Mildred a lot, “and that’s the way it is.”
There was just something about Walter Cronkite that made you trust what he said.
Leslie
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He was from the days of honest journalism.
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He built trust ….
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Mr. Cronkite was the real deal. I was fortunate enough to spend time with him. QUALITY time on his boat where he puffed on his pipe, took slow sips of the good stuff and held court on Paradise Lost. Even with his disappointment, Cronkite admonished us to never falter, never yield to the suits and make the best use of the bully pulpit we were so lucky to have. He suffered no fools. And, that’s the way it was.
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It was the only time when our preferred TV show of the day was the CBS Evening News. That was can’t miss television.
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I kind of thought that was how he would be Garry….
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I remember Walter very well and how well respected he was.
That seemed the end of an era.
Leadership. Integrity. Character …
All missing today on major political fronts.
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No one in politics is believed, unless you are a cult member.
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Once upon a time. On Cronkite’s boat as he held court with a few young(er) reporters. His red line phone rang. A very short conversation with Cronkite getting visibly angry. He terminated the call with “You are an imbecile. Don’t call this number again!” It was a network biggie with a very dumb idea that never saw daylight. Don’t think that would happen today. It sure as hell fueled my convictions to battle the suits.
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I recenly viewed his conversation on the 20th anniversary of the Kennedy assination and his memories of that broadcast. Interesting was his reaction to a phone call he took off the air after being on for many hours. He did not suffer that fool kindly either. Another comment was not being aware that he violated the rule about suit jackets and went on air without it. He had to rush to the news room and was totally absorbed in the news. There were many great reporters in that era. He was the best.
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He dared go on without a jacket? Judas Priest! They are such numbskulls!
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He rushed to be on air. The news was more important than a jacket.
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Rich, I know. He cared less about aesthetics than today’s people who consider appearance above content. I used to recoil at people primping themselves before going on air. I usually was busy double checking material.
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Reblogged this on Blogger's World! and commented:
He was definitely one of a kind. We trusted him.
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Not sure why Bloggers World showed up. I am having trouble sharing from the Reader itself. It’s supposed to have been shared on Sarah’s Attic Of Treasures.
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I hate the reader. It’s too weird for me.
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I confess I don’t use the Reader as often as I used to.
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It’s easier for me to keep up with people. I wish It was a bit more organized. Showed more blogging sites.
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Share it twice!
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Will do.
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Yes, we trusted him more than the others.
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Yes we did. It’s almost impossible to trust anyone these days.
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I think the answer is no, there isn’t anyone like that anymore. First of all, the stations don’t cultivate wise reporters. They want nicely interchangeable players who will never want that much money — OR wield real power. And they don’t have the background. Cronkite was the power kid from the Murrow crowd. We don’t make them like Murrow anymore — and by the time Murrow was nearing the end, HE wasn’t treated like Murrow anymore, either. The world has changed. Yes, there are still honest journalists, but they don’t have faith of the viewers. I’m not sure anyone ever will.
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Locally we have a few well respected journalists, but most have retired or have been pushed aside. In my lifetime a saw some of the great ones, but at the national level they all seem to be gone.
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TV stations — even what’s left of the newspaper business — don’t want “stars” anymore. They cost too much and sometimes, they actually have opinions. They aren’t interested in opinions other than their own and their bosses. Rupert Murdoch came to the U.S. and murdered journalism. He did in in Australia first, but he needed a bigger turf. It’s like the presidency: one really evil one and the world turns upside down and inside out.
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Murdoch was doing the same to news in the UK. One of his sons quit the Board there because he was unhappy with the direction they were going.
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Rich, I agree with you. There are a few, a precious few, in local markets. On the national level, I don’t see many who impress me. Some of them have their moments – like Chris Wallace. Others seem to be serving their network’s agenda – left and right.
I’ll say it again. It’s about reporting the FACTS – from ALL sides. You let the audience decide. Actually, from a working point of view, it’s easier following Joe Friday’s adage “Just the facts, ma’am”. You give the facts (with corrobation), detail what you’ve seen and heard and summarize (in your closing “standup”) what it all appears to mean. It works in most stories. It is REALLY easy when you have acrimony from different sides. You let THEM tell their views and just “wrap it up”. Try to keep a straight face. You don’t editorialize with grimaces or wry smiles unless you earned the privilege with experience and trust. Cronkite rarely editorialized with his face – except for rare incidents like JFK’s death.
Youth prevails in the major Boston TV market. We watch the ABC affiliate – WCVB/Ch 5 because it has a long record of integrity dating back to my arrival in Boston in ’70. I even envied Ch 5 as a competitor because I knew they would probably do a better job. Call it professional courtesy and admiration.
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There are a few here. Phil Ponce had moved to local PBS years ago. He stepped away recently. He’s 70. I met him at a party a couple years ago. He is the real Deal.
Carol Marin was the anchor at local NBC when they had decided to bring in Jerry Springer to do commentary. She said if he comes, I go. He did. She left. Her partner left too and went to local ABC. Marin went to PBS where Ponce hosted Chicago Tonight. She’s still around.
There are a few others but they are just known here. Lester Holt’s son just got a job here on NBC and they are pushing out an anchor to give him a slot.
Frontline and 60 Minutes still seem to have real reporting.
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