Walter Cronkite was once described as the most trusted man in America. From his CBS chair, he nightly reported the events happening from around the world and stared back at us with his steely eyed gaze. During tumultuous and frightening times, we would sit and listen with some trepidation as he reported on WWII, the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Iran Hostage Crisis and the assassination of JFK. Glued nightly to our televisions we would peer back at Walter and wonder, "What would Walter do?" But in those days, men like Walter understood the importance of not becoming the news they report. It was our responsibility to hear the facts and decide for ourselves our opinion as a nation. "Our job is only to hold up the mirror - to tell and show the public what has happened." --- W. Cronkite
Today, our media seems to be taking the liberty of deciding for us how we should feel about the issues. News commentary has grown to take up the majority of the news network's airtime. They have drawn clearly defined lines in the sand as being either liberal or conservative. Is this good journalism? Should a news network, in good conscious, bash the elected president throughout his term in office? I'm certainly not taking a stance for or against the president, but merely using the situation as an example of how our news is reported. Our news has grossly changed from the days when the anchor sitting across our living rooms reported the news without attempting to sway our opinions to the left or right.
We should really consider the consequences of this type of reporting and what it could possibly lead to if it hasn't occurred already. When news network executives fall squarely upon one side of a political party and use their media to push their political views we encounter a slippery slope. The result is the public being misled regarding a story. We no longer have a balance view but a narrow one sided view of a story. Facts that shed a fair light upon a topic are omitted, misrepresenting the headline altogether.
In Walter Cronkite's time as an anchor man, the rare occasions that he would present an opinionated view was clearly sectioned to the end of the broadcast. The lights would lower slightly and the camera would zoom in. And Walter would take a moment to have a one-on-one discussion with the world. It was clear this was his own words and not the views of the network or anyone else. These moments were rare and often about very troubling events that frightened or saddened us all. It was not an attempt to sway our opinions, but a gentle hand to our shoulders reminding us that this too shall pass.
I hope to remind our media of those old days of journalism and the great anchors that reported our news. I hope they will take a lesson and step back from offering their opinions and have faith in the people to formulate their own views. Feeling strongly about politics is not a crime. However, using your network as a pulpit to sway the views of an entire nation to suit your own political agenda should be. Perhaps you would better serve your fellows by stepping down as a network CEO and running for political office where your opinion would be welcomed. On that note, I wish you the best on your future career in politics and leave you with another appropriate Cronkite quote, "The perils of duck hunting are great - especially for the duck." --- W. Cronkite
Previously Posted on FullofKnowlege.com
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