DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Walter Cronkite, the former CBS News anchor once referred to as
"the most trusted man in America," died Friday at his home, his
family told the New York Times, as reported by that paper's Media
Decoder blog.
Cronkite, who anchored the evening news from 1962 to 1981, was
by far the most watched newsman of his era at a time long before
24-hour cable news and, of course, the Internet. For millions of
Americans, Cronkite was their only source of news, and his decision
to speak out against the Vietnam War in 1968 caused President
Lyndon Johnson to say, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle
America."
"It is impossible to imagine CBS News, journalism or indeed
America without Walter Cronkite," said Sean McManus, President, CBS
News and Sports, in a statement. "More than just the best and most
trusted anchor in history, he guided America through our crises,
tragedies and also our victories and greatest moments."
Complete report:
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/walter-cronkite-iconic-anchorman-dies/