Walter Cronkite

 Early Life

In 1916, Walter Cronkite was born in St. Joseph Missouri. As a little boy, he realized he wanted to become a journalist by reading a magazine regarding a foreign correspondent. From there, Walter Cronkite was determined to make a name for himself in the journalism industry.

He attended the University of Texas and worked part time at the Houston Post to help pay for his tuition. In 1935, he graduated and went to work with them full time. A short while later, in 1939, he moved on to work for the United Press. In 1941, when the United States entered World War II, he was assigned as an overseas war correspondent for the company in the North Atlantic. 

Throughout his time at the United Press, he accomplished many things. He reported on German bombing, the invasion of North Africa, and the Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy for D-Day to name a few. When the war ended, he decided to remain in Europe to cover the Nuremberg trials. During the trials, he acted as the chief United Press correspondent (Ray). He later returned to the United States in 1948.                                                                                                     

His Time at CBS

With all of his hard work at the United Press and world wide, he caught the attention of CBS news. In 1950, he joined the CBS team and worked on a variety of programs. For twelve years he worked on programs like The Morning Show, a documentary series called The Twentieth Century, and a historical show called You Are There (Warnes). Walter Cronkite, thrived in each setting and showed off his diversity of talents regarding reporting and journalism. 

While he did accomplish many amazing things in his early life, he is most well known for being the news anchor for the CBS Evening News. In 1962, he helped launch the program and stood as its news anchor for nineteen years before his retirement in 1981. During this time, he developed his famous ending remark, "and that's the way it is." This came to be a world-famous catchphrase and one that fit perfectly with his personality. 

(Pictured: Walter Cronkite with his cohost Charlemagne for The Morning News)

Most Notable Broadcasts at CBS

During his many years at CBS, he was able to report on a variety of important historical events. To name just a few, he reported on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, civil rights struggles, Vietnam War coverage and commentary, and the Apollo 11 moon landing (Staff).

In 1968, Cronkite led a broadcast about the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, calling him an "apostle of nonviolence in the civil rights movement." Walter Cronkite provided details of King's death and even one witness account. After Cronkite's death, The New York Times wrote an appreciation describing the broadcast, "America went into shock while staring at Mr. Cronkite as he read the bare facts aloud. His face, subdued, grave but studiously unemotional, was reassuring in a way that President Johnson, who that night gave a speech urging people to stay calm, was not" (Staff). This comment proves why he became known as the most trusted man in America. 

Another feat for Walter Cronkite occurred in 1972 with the Watergate reports. While he was not the one to break the story, the Washington Post did, he is credited for bringing it to the attention of a much wider audience. He aired a detailed report of the scandal just before the next election. He did a fourteen minute report on Watergate and followed up four days later with an eight minute segment. Cronkite was even on air in 1974 when President Nixon resigned.

Last but certainly not least is Walter Cronkite's coverage of the Iran Hostage Crisis from 1980-81. As stated above, he would end every show by saying, "and that's the way it is." However, during this hostage crisis his sign off did not end there. He would follow up his famous quote with, "the (50th, 150th, etc.) day of captivity for the American hostages in Tehran." He did this all the way up until day 444 when the hostages were finally released (Staff). In all, Walter Cronkite devoted his life to his work and showed more care and compassion than many. It is clear that his style for journalism was one for impartiality, honesty, and level headedness.

Legacy and Death

During his life, Walter Cronkite received numerous well deserved awards. He received the Peabody Award twice, once in 1963 and another in 1981. He won several Emmy Awards and even the Presidential Medal Of Freedom. His most recent and last award while alive was the Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award from the Truman Foundation in 2004 (Biography). This list does not nearly include all the awards Walter Cronkite received during his time of service.

In 2005, Walter Cronkite lost his beloved wife Betsy to cancer at the age of 89. Four years later in 2009, Cronkite died in his home in New York City from a cerebrovascular disease. He is now buried next to his wife at their family plot in Kansas City, Missouri.

Walter Cronkite was an experienced journalist that devoted his life to the truth and knowledge for all, "and that's the way it is."

The Black Press

The black press began in 1827 in New York when John Russwurm and Samual Cornish started the Freedom's Journal. The role of this paper was to build communities of free black women and men in both the south and the north. The black press set out to report on incidents to warn the black communities and they advocated for things like antislavery, emancipation, and rebuilding groups that were forgotten. 

Throughout the years of operation, the list of contributors to the black press grew exponentially. Among them were names like: Fredrick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, and W.E.B. DuBois (Wilson). 

Soon black newspapers began to thrive, The North Star, Colored American Magazine, and the People's Advocate were among them. 

The Colored Magazine was founded in 1893 by Edward Cooper. This magazine was created as a way to advance black literature. It was well known for its portrayal of black life through short stories, essays, and novels. 

The Peoples Advocate was created by John Cromwell in 1845. This paper advocated for reform in the African American communities. The People's Advocate newspaper's motto was "principles, not men, but men as the representatives of principles." 

The abolition of slavery enticed the evolution of black newspapers. Many of these newspapers reflected the resilience and determination of black writers, depicting African Americans in a positive and intellectual manner. Since they were trying to get the word out about the unfair conditions they had to live in, many reported crimes against African Americans and refuted false allegations against black males. They also conveyed information regarding housing, job opportunities, and advertised products from black owned businesses. 

All in all, black newspapers during this time paved a way for black citizens now. No matter the push back, they continued to fight for their rights and better living conditions in the future. 

Julian Assange and Collateral Murder

 Julian Assange is an Australian journalist who founded the media organization WikiLeaks. Through this organization he released thousands of classified or internal documents from corporate businesses to the government. 

Included in these released documents was a video entitled "collateral murder" from a Baghdad airstrike on July 12, 2007. This video shows a graphic and unsettling image of two Reuters journalists (Saeed Chmagh and Namir Noor-Eldeen) and a number of Iraqis gunned down by an American helicopter. However, this is not the worst of it, while the U.S. soldiers were firing you can hear them laughing at the casualties, all of whom were civilians. 

During the first strike, seven men, including Reuters journalist Namir Noor-Eldeen, were killed. Namir was only 22 years old. The second journalist, Saeed Chmagh, was injured and trying to crawl away. You can clearly hear one of the shooters say, "look at those dead bastards, nice."

The U.S. soldiers did not stop there. After the first strike, a van driver named Saleh Tomal drove by and attempted to help the wounded journalist Chmagh. This is when a U.S. shooter says, "come on, let us shoot." They then proceed to shoot at the civilian van. Both Chmagh and Tomal were killed in this strike, two of Tomal's kids were in the van and were severely wounded. Instead of them immediately being transferred to a medical facility by the U.S. base they were handed over to Iraqi police then taken to an Iraqi hospital. This not only delayed their treatment it also meant they were taken to a facility that has poorer standards of medical treatment. 

Once the Humvees arrive on scene, one is seen driving over a body and you can hear the soldiers in the plane laughing and joking about it. This disgusting video shows the true corruption within our military and the devastating consequences it brings. 

*All information comes from WikiLeaks.

Anti Transgender Bill

 Earlier this year, Texas governor Greg Abbott issued a letter to Texas state health agencies stating that delivering gender-affirming medical treatments to trans youths is considered child abuse under state law. This means that nurses, doctors, and teachers are now legally required to report parents who aid their transgender child in receiving such care to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) (Sharrow). 

There has been a fair amount of pushback regarding this state law. The ACLU has now sued Texas and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement stating that denying trans youths health care is illegal and discriminatory under federal law. However, Texas is not alone. More than twelve state legislatures are undergoing considering certain legislations that would ban medical treatments for trans youths (Sederbaum).

Abbott's order is clearly targeting LGBTQ+ youths with regards to exclusion. All this order is doing is preventing kids from life saving medical care and devastating vulnerable children. 

This is sadly not the only policy that has targeted transgender youth. Last year, 10 states (Texas included) passed bans on trans kids competing in school athletics. 

Many conservatives in these states use the phrase "save our children" as an excuse for their actions. This saying can be traced back to anti-gay activists in the 1970's to demonize gays and lesbians. Clearly conservatives that back this bill are stuck in the past with no progressive action. 

Governor Abbott's bill is attempting to erase trans kids from history. When looking at the data, trans youths already severely struggle with day to day life and bills like these are only making it worse. 82% of transgender  citizens have considered the thought of suicide and 40% of them have attempted. With this being said, suicidality is highest among transgender youths (Austin).

All in all, this is a disgusting bill that should never have been passed. Being trans is NOT child abuse and is not a viable reason to withhold medical care. 

Whistleblowers

(Picture of Karen Silkwood)

 A whistleblower is a person who reveals information about an organization that is deemed illegal, fraudulent, or immoral. Whistleblowers are extremely important in a society, without them a lot of information we now know would never have been found out. A great example of a whistleblower is Julian Assange. Mr. Assange leaked a video of the U.S. military shooting innocent civilians and reporters. Without whistleblowers, officials in power could do what they want with no fear of retribution.

Whistleblowers also help out the journalism industry. It is found that whistleblowers and journalists have a complementary relationship. Without journalists, whistleblowers would not have anyone to publicize their information and without whistleblowers, journalists would not have many of the intriguing articles they have today. 

One famous whistleblower is a woman by the name of Karen Silkwood. In 1974, she discovered an incredible amount of health code violations at the Kerr-McGee nuclear power plant in Oklahoma. Among these health violations, there were high levels of nuclear contamination. When testing herself, she found that her body contained 400 times the legal limit of plutonium contamination (Richardson). Without Karen Silkwood this company might’ve continued to thrive in worsened conditions. 

Another famous whistleblower is John Kophinski. In 2009, Mr. Kophinski discovered that the company Pfizer was engaging in the off-label marketing of Bextra (Phillips). Bextra is a painkiller and it was being sold in dangerous doses for unapproved and unsafe uses. This became the second largest healthcare fraud settlement to date. Who knows what kind of damage this company could’ve done without the bravery of John Kophiniski. 

There are serious risks that come with whistleblowing. Some include but are not limited to, unemployment, harassment, and ruined reputations. However, there are laws that protect whistleblowers. OSHA has more than twenty laws protecting whistleblowers. one which prohibits retaliation against employees who complain about unsafe or unhealthful conditions or exercise other rights under the Act (OSHA).

Cable News

 On June 1st, 1980 The Cable News Network, or CNN, made it debut regarding the attempted assassination of a civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. This network became the world's first 24-hour television news station. 

CNN was founded by Robert "Ted" Turner who was an outspoken businessman and nicknamed "Mouth of the South." Robert Turner also founded the Turner Broadcasting System, TBS, and Turner Network Television, TNT. 

Picture of Robert Turner 

(Picture of Robert Turner)

While CNN did have a rough start at first, and was referred to as the "Chicken Noodle Network," they quickly became the only TV news station to provide live coverage of the 1986 explosion of the Challenger (Erickson). Five years later, CNN again defeated other networks with its live telecasts of the Persian Gulf War. 

While technology is expanding and allowing the world to experience new ideas like live news, we see something called the CNN effect come into play. The CNN effect, "is a theory that 24-hour news networks influence the general political and economic climate" (Kenton).

24-hour news has been seen to prompt a stronger reaction from investors and consumers and seen to cause overreactions in the market. For example, a news station could be covering regular coverage of turmoil in the banking industry which might result in investors withdrawing from their bank stocks. 

It has also created an increasingly competitive journalistic market. With news being reported so quickly, reporters and journalists find themselves in a race for the story which has resulted in misreporting and disputes. 

With information being available with the click of a button, increased attention was paid to scandals. It became increasingly easy to find "dirt" on others which caused major divisions among people. 

For a couple years, CNN appeared untouched by other networks. However, in 1996 a network called Fox News was born to challenge CNN. Fox News was founded by Robert Murdoch, who was a conservative and opportunist. He originally sought out to buy CNN, however when that failed he decided to launch his own news network that was a "fair and balanced" alternative (Ray). Fox emphasized nationalism and quickly became more addicting and dramatic than CNN.

(Picture of Robert Murdoch)

This is where we see the Fox effect come into play. This effect states that if CNN is liberal and made the world larger for all its transnational perspective, Fox balanced it out by reporting more nationalistic and conservative views. This is really where we see a division in networks arise and choose which side of government they want to support. 

Even today, we can see a huge difference between the two networks. For example, when looking at the frequency of subtopics between Fox and CNN, Fox reports 10 times more about negative consequences of "extreme" racial protests than CNN. 

(Graph from study of Fox and CNN)

Another example would be both stations covering information coming from (then president) Donald Trump regarding the outbreak of COVID-19. On CNN’s screen you can see, “Trump melts down in angry response to reports he ignored virus warnings.” However, on Fox’s side it simply reads, “Trump: 115,000 tests per day” (Matthews). 

This has been seen to cause serious problems. Most people only watch one news source, which means they only see one biased side of the story. This has only contributed to the divisions among American citizens. If someone is only watching the conservative side, then they are only going to believe that side. This is why we see so much tunnel vision and intense political beliefs. 

In the end, 24-hour news helped create widespread information that catered to viewers. However, it also created a lot of bias based on what news station one decides to watch, which resulted in major divisions across the country. 

RaDonda Vaught

 In 2017, nurse RaDonda Vaught was criminally prosecuted for a fatal drug error. On March 25, 2022 a jury found Ms. Vaught guilty on two charges of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult (Muoio). She now faces up to eight years in prison. 

Now what did she do? In December 2017, a woman named Charlene Murphy, age 75, was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for a brain injury. During the time of error, Mrs. Murphey's condition was improving and she was being prepared for discharge from the hospital. She was prescribed a sedative called Versed, to calm her down before being scanned by an MRI. 

Nurse Vaught was asked to retrieve the Versed, instead she accidentally grabbed a medication called Vecuronium. Both drugs look very similar don't they? Vecuronium just happened to be a powerful paralyzer. Vaught injected the patient with the drug and left for her to be scanned. By the time the error was discovered, Murphey was brain-dead (Kelman).

Nurse RaDonda Vaught's conviction quickly received condemnation from medical professionals, each stating that, "criminal charges for non-intentional medical errors are a 'dangerous precedent' and a deterrent for future recruiting" (Kelman). This ruling will have a long lasting effect on medical professions.

The IHI, or Institute for Healthcare Improvement, encourages transparent reporting of mistakes so organizations can improve, learn, and minimize damage. However, with this ruling no medical professional will be transparent for fear of major jail time. This could potentially cause even more healthcare mistakes.

The medical profession is already suffering from a labor shortage, like every other business in the United States currently. This standing is making it even harder for hospitals to find good workers. Many nurses and other healthcare professionals are quitting, at this rate we will have very few medical personnel to help with any injury or illness. 

Are we not supposed to be taking care of these healthcare workers like they take care of us?

Every human makes mistakes. Imagine if everyone faced jail time for an honest mistake at work, how would that change the way America and other countries run? No business would be able to properly function.