Talk:Walter Cronkite

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[edit] Picture

Since the opening paragraph talks about Cronkite as a newsanchor, wouldn't the picture be more apt if it was one of him giving the news? The war photo didn't match the introduction. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.94.26.157 (talk) 13:17, 27 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Retired?

Cronkite is retired, yes?

[edit] Biography assessment rating comment

WikiProject Biography Assessment Drive

The article may be improved by following the WikiProject Biography 11 easy steps to producing at least a B article. -- Yamara 17:24, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit]  

Has been since 1981. Mike H 22:50, Aug 22, 2004 (UTC)

He's had a rather active retirement, though. 205.188.116.66 07:27, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

"RCA made a corporate decision not to fund NBC News at the levels CBS funded CBS News. Consequently, CBS News acquired a reputation for accuracy and depth in broadcast journalism."

Does it necessarily follow that a big-budget news show has better journalism? Lee M 14:19, 16 Nov 2003 (UTC)

CBS News, at that time, had the full backing of William Paley, the network founder. Bigger budgets meant more of everything for CBS News, at a time when there were only three networks in the USA broadcasting television news with a national and international focus. Of course, the skill of CBS News personnel in that era, didn't hurt, either. Kurtbw 12:01, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Removed text

I removed the following sentences, which came after the part about Cronkite announcing Kennedy's death:

People have now compared that to CNN's Carol Lin saying: "Yeah. This just in. You are looking at obviously a very disturbing live shot there. That is the World Trade Center, and we have unconfirmed reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. CNN Center right now is just beginning to work on this story, obviously calling our sources, and trying to figure out exactly what happened. But clearly, something relatively devastating happening this morning there on the south end of the island Manhattan. That is, once again, a picture of one of the towers of the World Trade Center."

I don't see what this has to do with Walter Cronkite. Nor do I see what the basis of comparison between the two is. That Lin said a lot more? That Cronkite was more eloquent? What? --Angr 21:06, 9 Mar 2005 (UTC)

People know where they were when Kennedy was assassinated. Only one other moment do they know where they were after afterwards: terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. That's the only reason why Cronkite was compared with Carol Lin. Because he was the first anchor to tell many Americans of the death of President Kennedy, like she was the first anchor to tell many Americans of the terrorist attacks. -- SNIyer12, 23:10, 28 May 2005 (UTC)
People remember where they were when all sorts of stuff happened, and it's not up to you to tell them that they don't. Carol Lin's quote is appropriate as part of the Carol Lin article, not this one. --PHenry 19:56, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)

In what way was WC an autodidact if he attended the University of Texas? Faboba 22:47(GMT), 31 Sep 2005

[edit] Middle name

Is it LeLand, or Leland? Please respond here, or on my talk page. Эйрон Кинни 07:47, 19 February 2006 (UTC)

  • I'm sure it's "Leland". I don't know of any case of internal capitalization of someone's middle name, and I very much doubt that Cronkite would go in for that sort of thing. (Now, BarBara Luna, on the other hand... <G>) --Chris 16:03, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Documentary on WCC Chatham Radio

I presume that in this paragraph from the article:

On February 15, 2005, he went into the studio at CBS to record narration for the documentary WCC Chatham Radio, a documentary about Guglielmo Marconi and his Chatham station, which became the busiest ship-to-shore wireless station in North America from 1914 to 1994. The documentary was directed by Christopher Seufert of Mooncusser Films and the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center in April of 2005.

the last clause should read "and premiered at the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center in April of 2005". I haven't had time to research it yet... --Chris 16:01, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup

Whew. I did quite a bit of cleanup on this article tonight, changing most of the sections and trying to put events in something of a proper chronological order. I did not tackle much of the "retirement" content -- it's too much at the moment, and I cannot confirm most of the events listed. Left the cleanup tag in place there. Comments welcome. 205.188.116.66 08:36, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

I tried to clean up a bit of it, and group statements - general activities post-retirement, personal events post-retirement, and his "outspoken" comments grouped together. NickBurns 23:08, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Statements On The Iraq War

It seems entirely politically motivated, if not outright libelous, to assert that Cronkite's views on the Iraq war have been inconsistent or heavily criticized, when the putative supporting evidence is an article in the SF Chronicle that makes no mention of any inconsistency or criticism. So, I have deleted such assertion at the end of the "Outspoken Commentary" section ending the page, but retained the link to the article footnoted. Gideondev 02:27, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Lyndon Johnson remark

From - The Age, Australian news paper: http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/this-is-the-end/2006/11/28/1164476204827.html - President Lyndon Johnson, after hearing Cronkite's broadcast, reportedly remarked: "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America."

Not sure which is more accurate.

[edit] And as an author...?

There's nothing about his books??? — Johan the Ghost seance 18:32, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Confusing text

I wonder if someone could tell me what this means?

"He would explain later that radio stations at the time did not want people to use their real names for fear of taking their listeners with them."

"Taking their listeners with them?" I could rewrite it to make more sense, if I only understood it in the first place. The only meaning I can think of is that perhaps they were expected to change their broadcast names if they went to work at other stations. Mordant Kitten 23:31, 3 June 2007 (UTC)


My assumption is that if his radio show was named Walter Conkrite then he could leave the station for a competitor and carry his audience with him to the new Walter Conkrite show. But if the show was named something else, i.e. Walter Wilcox, then the station owns the name of the show and if he left, the station could keep the show and put someone else in the spot or kill the show and prevent the competitor from using the name. How effective this would be at retaining the audience is anybody's guess.

cheers 70.153.8.204 (talk) 14:43, 15 December 2007 (UTC)H. Hall

[edit] Criticism?

How is there no criticism section for Crokite? This is just further proof that Wikipedia is a shill. --Haizum μολὼν λαβέ 19:30, 26 July 2007 (UTC)


I have already replied to much the same message over at Talk:Jane Fonda. But, for the wider community, let me reiterate that in general, having a separate section for criticism is discouraged by the manual of style. See Wikipedia:Words_to_avoid#Article_structures_that_can_imply_a_point_of_view. Silly rabbit 20:39, 26 July 2007 (UTC)


No criticism here, but is there any chance that someone knowledgeable could add something about Cronkite's interest in seafaring and considerable experience sailing and boating? Jim Rosenthal 20:56, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

According to this very article he was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. That would be add some depth to your question about sailing and boating. One note, this article lists a category of "United States Coast Guard officers". Being a member of the auxiliary is not the same as being an officer in the armed forces. I recommend that he be deleted from this category.Cliffwalk (talk) 14:03, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

There are reasons why Cronkite was asked not be be a part of the 1964 Republican Convention. It would be worthwile noting this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.125.16.128 (talk) 17:58, 11 May 2008 (UTC)