Walter Cronkite and Journalism Today

Carly Yuenger

On today's show we remember the life and work of journalist and news anchor Walter Cronkite by thinking hard about what journalism was, is, and can be.

When Walter Cronkite started out, there were only 3 national broadcasting networks and the evening news lasted 15 minutes! Journalistic practices, the news, and the media through which we get it have all undoubtedly changed in the last 50 years, and changes seem to come faster and faster through ever-evolving new forms of media and new uses of old media.

The use of Twitter during the unrest following the recent Iranian elections and the ever-increasing number of 24-hour cable news channels suggests we have a lot to catch up on with regard to how we think about and use news media.

But this doesn't mean we can no longer tell the difference between better and worse news and news sources. The values that made Walter Cronkite the most trusted man in America may help us sift through the news we encounter today. It may, however, demand that we look longer and harder for the good stuff and that we become better and more critical news consumers.

How do you think we as news consumers should catch up with the times? What does good journalism mean to you? What does it mean to be a critical news consumer and what today makes it difficult to be one? Add a comment below or leave a voicemail for our mailbag segment at 1-877-GLOBE-07