It seems everyone is (or was) talking about the recently announced retirement of Dan Rather as the CBS Evening News anchor, who is due to step down in March. The conservative right rejoices the downfall of a biased newsman, while the liberal left seems to shrug its shoulders. Personally, I’ve been far more interested in the stories his predecessor has been sharing on NPR recently.
Walter Cronkite has been sharing some fascinating stories about the news events he reported on during his years as a television journalist, arguably one of most important time spans in America’s brief history. Listening to his behind the scenes tales from such events as the McCarthy hearings, the Sputnik launch, and the first plane hijacking helps me to feel as if I lived during those events. Delivered by that trademark voice in the reporting style of his era, it only reinforces my believe that TV news of today is nothing more than entertainment, scripted from beginning to end and completely sensationalized.
If you have the time, I highly recommend hopping over to NPR’s website and giving some of his stories a listen. I promise it will be worth your time.
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