The news of Walter Cronkite's death, if not unexpected, is still a blow. Much more than the untimely deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, this death deeply grieves me.
From the time I can remember, every evening the voice of Walter Cronkite floated through our living room as my parents watched "The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite." He was the one who described the events following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He was the one who told us about the conflict in Vietnam, and he was the lone voice who opine
d that the conflict was lost. His was the voice I heard in the late evenings on election nights when I was already in bed and my parents were waiting for election results. For kids, he was the narrator of the "You Were There' series, teaching us about great moments in history. Perhaps most significantly, he was the voice of the space program. So iconic that NASA had him narrate "The Dream Is Alive," their IMAX film about the shuttle program.
d that the conflict was lost. His was the voice I heard in the late evenings on election nights when I was already in bed and my parents were waiting for election results. For kids, he was the narrator of the "You Were There' series, teaching us about great moments in history. Perhaps most significantly, he was the voice of the space program. So iconic that NASA had him narrate "The Dream Is Alive," their IMAX film about the shuttle program.When Walter Cronkite spoke, we trusted him. He set the bar high, demanding excellence in broadcasting, integrity in journalism, and insisting on the truth. Edward R. Murrow set that standard before him, but Walter Cronkite figured out how to balance the truth with compelling presentation, to get people to listen and learn. Even in retirement, we listened to, and trusted, Walter Cronkite. If you doubt that, read what other television journalists say in this excellent blog entry in the New York Times.
While Farrah and Michael's deaths have shaken Generation X, forcing them to face the prospect of being adults, Walter Cronkite's death affects us Boomers differently. His does not define the death of our youth, but rather, defines the passing of an era of truth-telling in news. And not the hasty, let me say it first truth, but the kind of truth that can stand up to rigorous challenge, because it was fully investigated.
So tonight I grieve the loss of a symbol of integrity and truth. Rest well, Walter Cronkite. I'm sure that your place in heaven is a favored one.
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