Walter Cronkite Gravely Ill: Reports

NEW YORK — CBS isn't commenting on reports that veteran newsman Walter Cronkite is gravely ill. The 92-year-old former anchor of "The CBS Evening News," who has been ailing for some time, has reportedly taken a turn for the worse, according to TVNewser and other online sites. CBS News spokesman Kevin Tedesco had no comment on Friday.

Bob Schieffer said, "All of us are praying for the best, and our thoughts are with Walter's family." The host of CBS' "Face the Nation" and a longtime Cronkite colleague, Schieffer noted that he had no current news on Cronkite's condition.

The face of CBS News for more than two decades, Cronkite was named "the most trusted man in America" in a 1972 "trust index" survey, and he ended each broadcast with the reassuring signoff, "And that's the way it is."

He left the "Evening News" anchor desk in 1981, but after that kept a busy schedule both in journalistic and other activities.

For 24 years, he served as onsite host for New Year's Day telecasts by the Vienna Philharmonic until ill health forced him to bow out earlier this year.

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CBS is owned by CBS Corp.

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On the Net:

http://www.cbs.com

Comments

[booker52]

I remember his broadcasts. Great guy, hope he gets to feeling better!!

[jones]

I would hate to think of Cronkite suffering. I hope he is comfortable and able to communicate with his family. He has left me and many others with good memories of good journalism.

[totalliberal]

Walter called the Vietnam war for what it was. Total BS. Johnson quit shortly thereafter.

"Cronkite is against us. We've lost", he said.

[totalliberal]

He is a sailor that loves the sea. God speed dear navigator.

I met you once and It was a precious time for me.

[Peabodies]

Walter Cronkite was trusted. In the days when he anchored the news, there were barriers between the news departments and the commercial side of the networks. So there was less temptation to skew the news towards the big donors (corporations), the govt in power at the time, the paid pundits that have so polluted what we hear today. Today, news is what sells -- the salacious, the vulgar, the celebrities, anything but the serious news the citizenry needs to make informed choices about their world. The Fairness Doctrine dictated that there would be more than one dominant ideology coloring every story.

Mr. Cronkite, I wish you well.

[Okieborn]

Mr. Cronkite you have always given your best for American journalism !!
I have been waiting for your comments on this new President and the state of the union !!
America Loves you sir !!!

[TheBlackCat]

To anyone who hasn't read Walter Cronkite's autobiography: "A Reporter's Life," do yourself a favor and go pick it up. Superbly entertaining and heartfelt tale of this amazing journalist's life in news.

[PCdoc]

what strikes me as truly sad is that over 500 people have commented about Jon and Kate and just over 150 have commented about Walter Cronkite. I'd say things are pretty screwed up

[mamacat]

Best wishes to a wonderful man.

[Yermammy]

I'm very sorry to hear this. One of the last true journalistic reporters and news casters that actually told the damned truth. Now they've fired Froomkin at WaPo, we're down to just a handful of people to believe. It's a very sad time in America, regardless of what Craig Ferguson says.

[Drumbeato]

Cronkite is one of a kind, the last of the great news men. He won the title the most trusted man in news because he was just that. Most Americans looked to him for the truth about what was going on in the world. The President knew when Cronkite went on the evening news and denounced the war in Viet Nam that he had lost the people. There is no one like him on TV today. Even those that aspire (Like Olbermann), can't come close because, sad to say, they lack the impact that Cronkite had on viewers. It is a much different world than the one we knew in the 60's and 70's. People today are more jaded & cynical than they were back in the day. Because of this it is harder to have the impact on people that Cronkite did. Watergate was the turning point in America. It was the moment that we collectlively realized we couldn't really trust the government and had to question authority. It was the end of our collective innocence. Cronkite was the last to reach us and truly make a difference. He will be sorely missed.

[Yermammy]

His eventual demise along with the firing of Froomkin should indicate where we're going as a society and it isn't nice. Most reporters and journalists are just mouth pieces anymore instead of being adversarial like REAL journalists are supposed to be. I'm gonna miss Walt. Badly.

[aurora57]

I was an elevator operator at a Philadelphia hotel while in college and had the pleasure of taking Walter Cronkite to his floor. What an amiable man... only about 30 seconds but I still remember his story about his plane flight from NY to Philly.

[NHBill]

wonderful memory

[hukkahukkabirninglove]

We love you Uncle Walt!

[Big0725]

The last newscaster I truly admired. May you not suffer.

[corsair1917]

Don't believe all that you read... not as ill as reported....but he is 92, a slowing down is expected.

[LeftLeanWing]

Not to debunk you.... but How do you know this ?________________

[corsair1917]

because I worked for him.... he is not well but at death's door is wrong.