Cronkite 'Gravely Ill'

He accepted scads of free Pan Am trips, says Brinkley book

(NEWSER) - It seems our apparently squeaky-clean fatherly news king Walter Cronkite was not above accepting major freebies from none other than Pan Am. That's the dirt from a new biography on Cronkite, that claims he cut a deal in the 1970s with the airline to fly him, his family and select friends to luxe vacation spots around the world completely free of charge. CBS News division president at the time Dick Salant was upset about the obvious conflict of interest for his star anchor, but he never took any action against Cronkite, writes Douglas Brinkley in his book Cronkite. More»

Role in 9/11 health bill points to journalism's greats

(NEWSER) - By taking up a cause—the 9/11 health bill—and getting quick results, Jon Stewart is following in the footsteps of news greats and "advocacy journalists" Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, professor of television Robert Thompson tells the New York Times . Murrow helped shift public opinion on the Sen. Joseph McCarthy hearings; Cronkite’s views on the stalemate in Vietnam influenced Lyndon Johnson's decision not to run for reelection. Though Thompson acknowledges the fact that Stewart's impact doesn't yet measure up to Murrow and Cronkite's, he argues that the comparison is a valid one, because barring Stewart’s help, the bill would likely have floundered. More»

Her contract up next year, Couric is sure to face a pay cut or worse

(NEWSER) - With reports of a 150-person layoff at her network on Monday and just about a year left on her contract, Katie Couric's future is uncertain. Her bosses at CBS have given no indication whether they plan to keep her, but even if they do, "I would be flabbergasted if she didn’t take a pay cut," a source tells the New York Post . More»

'It was the right time' to replace Walter Cronkite: network

(AP) - Nearly six months after Walter Cronkite's death, his voice is leaving the CBS Evening News. His introduction of anchor Katie Couric has been replaced by a voiceover featuring actor Morgan Freeman. The legendary CBS News anchor recorded the introduction, played at the beginning of most newscasts, when Couric started at CBS in 2006. Cronkite's voice stayed on the air even after his death July 17. More»

(NEWSER) - Diane Sawyer finally has the job she’s been waiting for, Rebecca Dana writes for the Daily Beast: “anchor of World News, the once towering, now considerably diminished evening broadcast.” But her renewed rivalry with Katie Couric and her struggle to hold on to Charles Gibson’s ratings will likely provide a “reason to watch the evening news next year.” Of course, the most salacious stuff has already happened. More»