Yachats Oregon Writer Rick Schultze

Walter Cronkite who passed away on July 17^th at the age of 92 was perhaps the most recognizable face and voice of modern television news. From 1962 until 1981 he was CBS news. He was the first newscaster to be called “Anchorman” and his style, voice and delivery set the standard by which other newscasters on other networks followed. In spite of his tremendous status as “the most trusted man in America” he was still called Uncle Walter by people around the world and “old Ironpants” for his work ethic by other news people off camera. His tenure covered many huge events from the assination of JFK, introducing the Beatles on American TV, to the landing on the moon. In the days prior to instant news thanks to the internet and cell phones, households around the world turned in to watch Cronkite and hear him say; “and that’s the way it is”.

I was particularly interested in him since I had been a political science major focusing on daily current news events. In 1962 I was stationed in Okinawa and watched the coverage of Kennedy’s untimely demise and the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald with the most accurate correspondent being Cronkite.
News reporting today has radically changed because of the modernization of communication but you can still see a lot of Walter Cronkite in the top reporters. Perhaps because he looked and reported news like someone you knew it was more effective that just the cold objectivity of some reporters. His stories had the human touch, the man next door approach. Granted some of the stories he covered were very dramatic and in some cases heart wrenching but with his coverage we all felt a bit more involved. He personalized it for us. Today news coverage is much more specialized than when he began. All news casts have several reporters and roving reporters who cover in depth a variety of subjects. In the 60’s and 70’s that wasn’t the norm and with his knowledge of many things he seemed as ease covering anything. Of course behind the scenes he was known as a competitive man and a tough guy to beat to a story. As we view news today on Television it is reported from the liberal interpretation to the conservative view and everywhere else in between. The same story can appear different on each network. It’s not the result of bad reporting but more of an attempt to reach the market the particular network caters to.
In Uncle Walters’s time that simply wasn’t the case. He had established his dominance of the news and the way to tell the world all about it. Those of us who watched the man in his full reporting mode will never forget him or not think of him while watching the news today. He truly was the voice in the beginning of modern television reporting.

Thanks Mr. Cronkite, job well done sir!

To reach Rick Schultze email: yarick@pioneer.net