On the other hand, maybe the Twitter feeds are more like Cronkite's reporting of the moon landing than it appears. Or Cronkite's on-the-scene reporting of the Vietnam war or protest marches on the streets of America. Raw and somehow more real, so unlike the packaged and spin-controlled news of cable TV, Cronkite's reporting had immediacy and impact, telling it like it was, not what the inevitable spin-doctors, analysts, and strategists would have us believe.
"And that's the way it was," Cronkite would sign off each night of the CBS Evening News. That week in July 1969, when we were for that moment a nation unified in awe, listening, watching, and holding our collective breaths right along with Mr. Cronkite.
"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity," said Charles Dickens of another era, another place (Tale of Two Cities). We went to the moon, and the promise of President John F. Kennedy's dream was fulfilled. Yet the war raged on as did the generational and racial low-level warfare at home. But we went to the moon, and for that week in mid-July, 40 years ago, and that "small step" for man, nothing else seemed to really matter. Even to Walter Cronkite.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Great article Barbara.
-Glen
2 - Orange450
A lovely article, Barbara.
For 32 years, I've treasured the memory of a very brief personal interaction with Walter Cronkite. It was 1977, I was a college senior, and he'd come to my NYC school to deliver an open lecture to the student body on modern communications media and broadcast journalism. These were not my specific areas of interest, but I would have gone to listen to Mr. Cronkite speak about anything, so I attended.
I had made sure to arrive early, in order to get a good seat, so I was sitting towards the front. Mr. Cronkite took questions at the end of his lecture, and I was one of the lucky ones to be called on. This was before the days of wireless mikes, the large auditorium was full, and I still remember my excitement, nervousness, and the necessity to almost shout my question so that it could be heard on stage.
I don't remember my question, but I remember how graciously Mr. Cronkite answered me. Something in his response raised a laugh from the audience, and he directed a twinkle at me. His warmth and genuine interest in students were palpable.
As silly as it sounds, I've felt personally connected to him ever since.
3 - Barbara S Barnett
Glen, thanks!
Orange, thanks for sharing that memory. I think many of us have our memories of Cronkite, and yours is especially personal.
Those newsmen of the day held special places in everyone's memory book no matter how old or young. I remember when I was really young, Lowell Thomas' newscast played on the radio every night during dinner. My (much older) brother was actually named after him!
4 - Orange450
We were a loyal Huntley-Brinkley family. Probably because of the ending theme (2nd movement of Beethoven's 9th).
My Viennese father - who shared a birthplace with Beethoven - raised us on that music. And even tho' my dad was, and still is, more of a newspaper/radio person (he's 87, 'bis 120, and still doesn't have a TV!), he enjoyed H-B because of the music.
Eventually, I became a devoted Tom Lehrer fan, and discovered that he'd immortalized them in "So Long, Mom":
"While we're attacking frontally,
Watch Brink-a-ley and Hunt-a-ley
Describing contrapuntally
The cities we have lost..."
How sad is it that nothing's changed since that song was written, in 1965?
5 - roger nowosielski
A fitting video link to this memorable song.
6 - Barbara S Barnett
I was weaned on "That Was the Week That Was," where Tom morphed from a Math professor to a troubadour of the times
7 - Ruvy
Barbara,
That was an excellently written article. Far better these few pieces on a true icon of news broadcasting, Walter Cronkite, than the orgasmic outpouring of trash on an overrated singer who died from a heart attack recently.
Perhaps, the only thing you failed to mention (understandably, you were only a kid in 1963) was that Walter Cronkite was a national avatar in many events in that troubled series of years where he was an anchor for CBS News, once the best in the business.
kol hakvód - all honor to you! Full marks, Barb!
8 - Joanne Huspek
The best thing I liked among all the accolades for him this weekend? People said he was a genuinely nice man.
That beats the pants off anything else you could say.