Last week, the world lost an icon. Walter Cronkite was voted the most trusted man in America for years, covering news that ranged from the Kennedy assasination to the first man on the moon.
For those of us who were journalism majors, he was the ultimate serious, no-nonsense newsman. I had the pleasure of meeting him and talking with him during the 1982 World’s Fair, and it was the highlight of my World’s Fair experience, surpassing meetings with heads of state and movie stars. When I asked him the key to his success and longevity in the fickle TV news industry, he said that is was to “not let it all become about him” and remembering that he is only the vehicle for delivering information that people want and need to hear. How refreshing and true.
We can all take a lesson from those words. The people who make it to the top of their fields and stay there are those who remember the job they are supposed to be doing and concentrate on doing it well, rather than reveling in any personal glory it throws off.
In these days of so much mistrust of our leaders, the world will miss someone whose signature sign-off each night was simply “And that’s the way it is.” Simplicity, truthfulness, and a direct agenda — is that really too much to ask?
