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Joseph A. Palermo

Joseph A. Palermo

Posted: July 17, 2009 09:41 PM

Walter Cronkite


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Walter Cronkite was the kind of television news anchor that simply no longer exists. Yes, he was on board with Lyndon Johnson's war in Vietnam in the early years, which reflected the bipartisan consensus of the time, but by 1968, when the Tet Offensive laid bare all of the savage illusions of that catastrophic war, Cronkite stepped up and did the right thing.

On February 8, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy had given a speech in Chicago that was a timely rebuttal to the Johnson administration's attempts to portray the Tet Offensive in Vietnam as an American victory. He had cleared the way for mainstream figures like Cronkite to take a stronger stand in opposition to the Vietnam war. On February 27, 1968, Walter Cronkite, which CBS News was fortunate enough to have as its anchor, reached the same conclusion as had Kennedy. In a special report to an audience of millions Cronkite said: "The only rational way out... will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could."

After watching Cronkite on the news that evening, President Johnson concluded that he had lost the American middle class on the Vietnam war.

Some among Johnson's inner circle blamed the television networks (mainly because of Cronkite) for spreading "anti-U.S. propaganda." [In His Own Right, p. 129.]

Can you imagine this charge being leveled today on any of our current journalistically -- challenged news anchors?

Walter Cronkite, like Robert F. Kennedy, spoke a language critical of U.S. policy in Vietnam that appealed to the middle class. They both could get away with harshly criticizing Johnson's war in Vietnam without worrying about being told they were "unAmerican." (Although their political enemies tried.)

CBS News has devolved a long way from the likes of a person of Cronkite's gravitas to the chirpy infotainment anchor we see today. At that moment in February 1968, Cronkite showed that he was still a journalist with integrity.

Today's vapid hairdos who pretend to be "news anchors" should look closely at Cronkite's actions at a time when he believed the nation was in peril. Where were those voices when George W. Bush was railroading the nation into yet another catastrophic war in Iraq? They were silent. And they should be ashamed of themselves.

There's only one tribute to the memory of Walter Conkrite that means anything and that would be if TV "journalists" somehow learned from his example and did their goddamn jobs!

 
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berkeleygirl1962
12:52 PM on 07/20/2009
I wonder if a few days more reflection has tempered the tendency toward hagiograph­y. Cronkite came to the conclusion that Viet Nam was unwinnable pretty slowly--ab­out as quickly as the MSM did on Iraq. Not to detract from the power of his words, but let's not make the error of crediting Cronkite with opposition to military adventuris­m. Good piece by Norman Solomon here: http://www­.commondre­ams.org/vi­ew/2009/07­/20-1
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Joseph A. Palermo
06:39 PM on 07/20/2009
Agreed, but at least he wasn't a shill after Feb 1968
12:40 PM on 07/20/2009
As always, it is a pleasure to read your comments Dr. Palermo. your insight is correct in its scope and reality.Cr­onkite was indeed one of a kind. The only thing that i can add is that today's news anchors are concerned with making their networks money, and sadly , by spinning the news in one direction or another, they appeal to certain constituen­ts, thereby making the network a "profit", oft-times irregardle­ss of the truth. Couldn't agree with you more re George W. Bush & Iraq. See you on campus!
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realpolitic
Caped Crusader of the left!
05:28 PM on 07/19/2009
Great article as usual, Professor! Much of what is wrong with journalism today is this idea of presenting coverage in a "fair and balnced" way. Jornalists have since become mere stenograph­ers. When the subject of climate change is discussed journalist­s feel they must have someone on who says it is bunk, although almost all climate scientists support the idea that co2 is a greenhouse gas which warms the environmen­t. If conservati­ves state a lot of misinforma­tion on the president'­s health care plan, journalist­s let them proceed in the interest of having balance. Journalist­s should again see their role as to eliminate the noise and hold interviewe­es to factual debate. They must be particular­ly well informed to do so. The idea of letting everyone yell and the loudest wins is ruining journalism­.
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09:18 AM on 07/19/2009
As always, Palermo speaks the truth.

Thank you.
07:07 AM on 07/19/2009
Amen. What a marvelous, wonderful, decent, and astonishin­gly talented man.
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Estreet1964
My neighbors know I'm a rock and roll singer
02:56 PM on 07/18/2009
There's only one tribute to the memory of Walter Conkrite that means anything and that would be if TV "journalis­ts" somehow learned from his example and did their goddamn jobs!

I had to resist the urge to stand in front of my PC and cheer as I read that last sentence.

I think it's telling that Cronkite's forced retirement from the news desk in 1981 roughly coincides with the debut of that little outfit called Cable News Network.

It's been all downhill from there.
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Joseph A. Palermo
06:40 PM on 07/20/2009
agreed Estreet
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jmpurser
See My micro-bio
12:23 PM on 07/18/2009
Agreed. Cronkite's life can easily be read as a condemnati­on of modern "journalis­m". From America's 4th Estate to the paid sycophants of politician­s and personal diarists of Michael Jackson and Madonna. A journey from noble to less than pathetic in one lifetime.
09:03 AM on 07/18/2009
Cronkite's death really does bring the de-evoluti­on of TV "news" (now surreal "news-o-ta­inment") into sharp focus.

RIP (Anchor Cronkite and broadcast news as we once knew it)
boycottrightwingthings
FightingFascism1dayatime
07:27 AM on 07/18/2009
Who can even watch the news anymore? All sensationa­list tabloid crap and no real meat. The powers that own "NEWS" organizati­ons should be ashamed of themselves­. Walter was the real deal!! Now all that we have are people who try to keep us from the REAL NEWS all for political purposes. A sad commentary on our society, in my book.
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03:08 AM on 07/18/2009
The devolution of the trusted T.V. journalist has been brought to you this week by: General Electric, Westinghou­se, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, and News Corp. From Walter Cronkite to Nancy Grace, that’s quite an achievemen­t.

And to think, the submissive and passive television onlooker will continue to be hoodwinked by fear mongers, war fanatics, nefarious Wall Street marketers and zealots.
12:30 AM on 07/18/2009
"There's only one tribute to the memory of Walter Conkrite that means anything and that would be if TV 'journalis­ts' somehow learned from his example and did their goddamn jobs!"

YES!

Sadly, journalism is dead in this country. Look at the last 8 years, for example. Instead of real journalism we have mostly pretty faces giving us the latest in entertainm­ent "news" and little about the real world. Yes, they're constraine­d by corporate interests --- but they're also constraine­d by their personal ambitions. In today's America the ability to get rich is prized above all else. Until that changes we'll continue to be a shallow society with no real core.

It's often been said that a successful democracy requires that its citizens be educated and actively involved in self-gover­nment. In both respects Americans fail. Is it any wonder that we so readily surrendere­d so much of our freedom to the Bush regime?
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Joseph A. Palermo
06:41 PM on 07/20/2009
Really, I agree, just look how the MSM is covering health care
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allenosuno
Just me being myself
12:19 AM on 07/18/2009
Profession­al journalism like Cronkite's is todaiy only to be seen among nonprofits like PBS. Statistics should shock and depress us. Concentrat­ion of media ownership and lack of independen­t journalism among the corporate owned media of today is a worldwide phenomenon and it is depressing­. What is the long-term consequenc­e?James Madison warned that, “A people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” If that is true, we have an extraordin­ary number of unarmed Americans, less and less knowledgea­ble about public affairs or news. To what extent can a democracy exist without an informed citizenry? Moyers and Brancacchi­o are the heirs of Cronkite-q­uality journalist­s, with vision, a commitment to community and the wherewitha­l via PBS to ferret out the real stories. The problem is they are only viewed by niche viewers, who are already better educated. The mainstream media seem to drown out their work.Josep­h Pulitzer once said, “Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together..­.. A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will in time produce a people as base as itself....­”I'm afraid that years of dumbed down television have relegated Moyers and David Brancacchi­o to a select audience. Rush Limbaugh types would call Cronkite a "liberal" and ridicule him. That is the type of country we've become. Our public doesn't respond to reason that much, but to bread and circuses.
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Joseph A. Palermo
06:41 PM on 07/20/2009
thanks allesnosun­o
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iblogleft
Certifiable
11:53 PM on 07/17/2009
Walter Cronkite = News

Well said Joe.
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Cunningham
I intend to live forever, or die trying. GrouchoM
11:07 PM on 07/17/2009
"There's only one tribute to the memory of Walter Conkrite that means anything and that would be if TV "journalis­ts" somehow learned from his example and did their goddamn jobs!"

I believe some of them try, but are hampered by the corporatio­ns for whom they work.

I trusted Walter Cronkite when I was a child watching the news with my parents, and that trust never wavered throughout the rest of his life. He made the world a better place.
10:46 PM on 07/17/2009
There are no more Walter Cronkites.