Walt Bodine

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Walton Marshall Bodine (born August 27, 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri), better known as Walt Bodine, is a broadcast journalist in Kansas City. Since 1985 he has hosted "The Walt Bodine Show" on KCUR, an NPR affiliated radio station.

He is the author of several books, including What Do You Say to That? (1988, ISBN 0-933701-36-5) and My Times, My Town (2003, ISBN 0-9746012-4-1).

In My Times, My Town Bodine commented on the philosophy behind the stories he has covered during his career:

For too long news directors have operated on the theory, 'If it bleeds, it leads.' Maybe they should consider that the audience requires something more than blood and gore and sex. Can it really be that the only thing that interests us is human misbehavior? ...Emphasis put on the daily bucket of blood does nothing to answer the broad array of serious problems facing the nation, the states and the city."

[edit] Awards

Bodine has received several awards, including:

Truman Community Service Award for 2005 from the city of Independence, Missouri
Bishop John J. Sullivan Award for Communications from Catholic Charities of Kansas City-Saint Joseph
Kansas City Spirit Award 1987