Reanna's Reports: May 2023

Walter Leland Cronkite Jr., more commonly known to the public as Walter Cronkite, was one of the bravest, most determined, and most legendary American journalists of all time. He made it a priority to deliver the truth to America, rising to fame as a war reporter and later, a CBS anchorman. His dedication to the field of journalism earned him an Emmy called the Governors Award and a new award in journalism was named in his honor. He was even famously dubbed, "the most trusted man in America" by a political poll created by Oliver Quayle in 1972. Walter Cronkite was truly the people's journalist.

Walter Cronkite was born on November 4, 1916, in St. Joseph, Missouri. He loved to read books, magazines, and newspapers as a kid, and it comes as no surprise that he worked on school newspapers throughout middle school and high school. Cronkite studied political science at the University of Texas Austin from 1933 to 1935 and worked as a correspondent for a Houston newspaper to help pay for his tuition. In 1935, Cronkite left the university to start working for the newspaper full-time. In 1939, he became a news editor for the United Press International (UPI).

When the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, the United Press promoted Walter Cronkite to overseas war correspondent. Cronkite covered fighting in the North Atlantic, and the invasion of North Africa. In 1944, Cronkite reported on the Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy, France, on D-Day. He was later reassigned to London to report on German bombing raids. He also flew in bombing raids over Germany. After the war ended, Cronkite remained in Europe to cover the Nürnberg trials, and he made his return to America after serving as the United Press bureau chief in Moscow from 1946 to 1948.

Cronkite’s work with the United Press was recognized by Edward Murrow, the vice president of CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System). Murrow originally tried to recruit Cronkite for radio, but Cronkite declined the offer. Some time passed, and Murrow then tried to recruit Cronkite for television, which Cronkite accepted. Little did he know that this would be the start of a blossoming career and decades of television fame. In 1950, Edward Murrow hired Walter Cronkite as a correspondent for the CBS television affiliate in Washington, D.C. Throughout the 1950s, Cronkite went on to host multiple television programs at CBS, including You Are There, an imaginary broadcast about history, The Morning Show, which he co-hosted with a puppet named Charlemagne, and The Twentieth Century, a documentary series.

In 1962 Cronkite attained the position that would skyrocket him into fame. He became the anchorman of the CBS Evening News. Not long after Cronkite took over for the previous anchor Douglas Edwards, the then 15-minute broadcast was extended to 30 minutes, which made it the first half-hour nightly news show on American network television. Cronkite not only broadcasted history, but he also made history himself.

Cronkite started You Are There, a television program that “reported” on important historical events as if they were happening currently, such as the death of Julius Caesar. Those working alongside Cronkite on the program would also "interview" historical figures, such as Sigmund Freud. Cronkite always ended each episode of You Are There with this quote:

“What kind of a day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times. And you were there.”

The Walter Cronkite Award for excellence in television political journalism is an award given to those who best represent the true purpose of journalism: “combating disinformation and defending democracy”.

Cronkite’s sign-off line as an anchorman at CBS was, “And that’s the way it is.” This line was well-received by viewers and made him appear relatable and quite likable. Unfortunately, Walter Cronkite passed away in his New York City home at the age of 92 on July 17, 2009, of cerebrovascular disease. However, despite his passing, he will forever be remembered as a legendary journalist, and his legacy will continue to live on through his phenomenal work at CBS, and his 1991 memoir, titled, “Walter Cronkite: A Reporter’s Life”. Walter Cronkite was journalism personified, and that’s the way it is.

Sources

https://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/news/the-100-outstanding-journalists-in-the-united-states-in-the-last-100-years/

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/us/18cronkite.html?pagewanted=all

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Walter-Cronkite

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/walter-cronkite-about-walter-cronkite/561/

https://www.cronkiteawards.org/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-most-trusted-man-in-america/

The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The same government that granted its people the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech has been cracking down and trying to silence journalists for years. Oh, the hypocrisy! This would not be the first time that the government has made an attempt to steer the public eye wrong and feed them misinformation, and sadly it will not be the last.

After viewing the film, Good Night, and Good Luck directed by George Clooney, I have come to realize that things are not so different in the present from how they were in the past. The film revolves around the idea of the "red scare", which was brought about by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, whose ideology later was given the term McCarthyism. Although there is no current "red scare" or a widespread fear of communism in America, I do see two parallels when it comes to dramatizing the news and creating fake narratives. One parallel may use these aspects to strike fear in people and/or to turn them against others. Another parallel may use these fake narratives and dramatization to make someone or something appear more likable to the general public in an attempt to create a sparkling reputation.

Let's get down to the fear factor parallel. Tiktok, a popular social media app used for creating videos and going live online, has been facing scrutiny by the government. They fear that the app's Chinese creator, Shou Zi Chew, has been using the app to gather data from U.S. devices and violating users' privacy. In a hearing held by Congress, Chew was pummeled with the most idiotic questions such as, "Why do you need to know where the eyes are if you’re not seeing if they’re dilated?” when Chew discussed how face filters, such as putting sunglasses on someone's eyes, work in the app. Chew gave thorough answers despite how stupid each question was, but Congress could not be reassured and continued to spew out more random questions to keep him from talking and making sense, with an inquiry about how WiFi works. If you're truly that confused about the functions of your home WiFi network, maybe do some research on that first before bombarding a Chinese businessman about his very successful and well-received company. Part of me thinks that Congress' behavior during the hearing could have been out of racism and the fact that the U.S. is in a rough spot with China. I am not here to discuss that.

Moving on, up next on the docket is the likability parallel. The Met Gala had quite a controversial theme this year, but you wouldn't know it from hearing most of the celebrity red-carpet interviews. The theme of the gala was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, and it celebrated the work of the late designer Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld worked for a series of famous designer brands, including Chloé and Chanel. Although his designs are impressive, his comments and perspective on women are very much the opposite. Below, I am attaching some of Karl Lagerfeld's most questionable quotes:

“Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.”

“If you do not want to be pulled on the pants, do not become a model! Join the [convent] instead, there will always be a place for you at the convent. They recruit, even!”

“My only ambition in life … is to wear size 28 jeans.”

If it wasn't clear, Karl Lagerfeld was also well-known to be fatphobic. He once commented that "no one wants to see curvy women", and mocked other celebrities like Adele and Heidi Klum for being too fat or too heavy. He also seemed to promote eating disorders, claiming that anorexia nervosa was not as dangerous for women as junk food and sitting in front of the television in an interview with Channel 4 News. Contrary to these comments, Lagerfeld's models and muses adore him, fashion houses praise him, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art chose to give him his own Met Gala theme in his honor. Many celebrities also spoke highly of Lagerfeld in their interviews while showing off their themed designer outfits.

One interview stood out to me, as it told a different story and painted Lagerfeld in a more negative but truthful light. Stella McCartney, a talented fashion designer herself and Paul McCartney's daughter, had little to say to praise Karl Lagerfeld, and by little I mean nothing at all. She recalled a comment of his from a conversation the two had in 1997 while being interviewed by Saturday Night Live's Chloe Fineman. McCartney replied, "My favorite moment about that — and it's when I felt that I truly arrived — is when Karl found out that I had taken over as successor to the brand, his quote was, 'I knew they would take a big name when I left the brand, but I thought it would be a big name in fashion, not in music.'" Lagerfeld was putting an emphasis on McCartney's nepotism baby title, as she is the child of a former Beatles member. Undermining McCartney's solo success is definitely not a good look for Lagerfeld.

Stella McCartney (center) with Madeline Cline and Aubrey Plaza

If I were to give the current era a name, I would call it, "the shrug era". From what I am aware of, and in my opinion, the current government has given up on doing what is good and suitable for its people. The government, rather, has turned to acting out of pure greed and revolving around the idea of what's in it for them long-term. Why have I chosen to use the word shrug, you may ask? The government has continued to disregard and shrug off problems that, if not solved and at the very least looked into, have the potential to destroy not only the structure of American democracy but even the world.

One prime example is The Willow Project. President Joe Biden approved and proceeded with the project despite environmental activists' growing concerns about how it will negatively impact climate change. It involves drilling copious amounts of oil from Alaska over a thirty-year-long period. Apparently, the amount of oil getting drilled over time will cause a tremendous buildup of carbon pollution equal to putting two million gas-powered cars on the roads. The fight to end climate change appears as though it has devolved into the fight to keep it.

There are plenty of other examples of the government shrugging off issues. For instance, Roe v. Wade, a case made to protect a woman's right to an abortion, was recently overturned. The original decision of the case in 1973 ruled that since personal privacy and certain freedoms are a part of the U.S. Consitution, a woman's choice of whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy should also be considered one of those freedoms.

As I was writing this blog post and gathering my sources, I noticed something interesting at the top of The Washington Post's website. Underneath their logo, there is a small phrase that reads, "Democracy Dies in Darkness". I could not agree more. The goal and crucial purpose of the press is to keep the people in the loop when the government shrouds them in darkness. So much information is hidden from the public eye, that in some cases, we can only guess or assume what's going on and in many cases, we are left clueless.

I sincerely hope that journalists in the future will be able to completely exercise their freedom of speech and press without interruption or any kind of blockage by the U.S. government. The people need the truth.

Sources

https://reproductiverights.org/roe-v-wade/#:~:text=The%20Roe%20v.%20Wade%20Ruling%2C%201973&text=In%20its%201973%20decision%20Roe,whether%20to%20continue%20a%20pregnancy.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/03/17/willow-project-alaska-oil-drilling-explained/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/14/politics/willow-project-oil-alaska-explained-climate/index.html

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript#:~:text=Bill%20of%20Rights.%22-,Amendment%20I,for%20a%20redress%20of%20grievances.

https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/research/online-documents/mccarthyism-red-scare

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/23/1165579717/tiktok-congress-hearing-shou-zi-chew-project-texas

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/25/tech/tiktok-user-reaction-hearing/index.html

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/a36092219/met-gala-theme/

https://pagesix.com/article/karl-lagerfeld-most-controversial-quotes/

https://time.com/6275632/why-the-met-galas-karl-lagerfeld-theme-is-controversial/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh7tTta9JaY&list=UUTrQ7HXWRRxr7OsOtodr2_w&index=4