Walter Cronkite RIP

Walter Cronkite died yesterday in his New York home. Watching Cronkite read the news was an American tradition. No newscaster ever earned the trust Cronkite had with the American public. Long before there were partisan cries of media bias - the public could count on Cronkite giving the facts. If Cronkite said it was true then it was gospel.

No other television journalist had a better pulse beat on the significance of world events. Cronkite used a 1963 interview with John F. Kennedy to question America's role in Vietnam.



In an interview, Cronkite said he understood the South vietnamese government was corrupt. His hope was that if the United States could hold the South then a democratic government could be built. The Tet Offensive changed Cronkite's perception of the war.



Cronkite was a national tressure. In our current media age, we will unlikely to be graced with such a majestic presense. If there is a Heaven, Cronkite will be treated to superior news media.