Perhaps if all the peoples of the world understand what war really means, we would eliminate it.
Walter CronkiteRead
I take a certain pride in having maintained a reputation for fast copy throughout my newspaper career. Fast-breaking stories left my typewriter in a hurry. Not great literature, perhaps, but fast, and usually accurate.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Walter Cronkite values speed and accuracy in journalism over literary excellence.
In this quote, Walter Cronkite reflects on his long career in journalism, expressing pride in his ability to deliver news quickly and accurately. He acknowledges that while his writing may not have reached the level of great literature, the essence of his work—to provide timely and truthful news—was paramount, indicating the importance of speed in the fast-paced world of reporting.
Themes
JournalismSpeedAccuracyReportingNews
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of journalism integrity.
More from Walter Cronkite
All quotes →The death of Churchill at 90 was one of those watershed moments in which the obituary rises to a special calling beyond the sharing of remembered times. It gave an older generation a rare opportunity to explain something of itself to its children.
Walter CronkiteRead
I suppose popularity is measured by ratings. If a broadcaster is known as the leader because of ratings, then that's where people most want to be seen and heard, so there's no question that there's an advantage.
Walter CronkiteRead
Objective journalism and an opinion column are about as similar as the Bible and Playboy magazine.
Walter CronkiteRead
I feel no compulsion to be a pundit. As a matter of fact, I really don't have that much to say about most things. Working with hard news satisfies me completely.
Walter CronkiteRead
I think that our comfort is in our history.
Walter CronkiteRead
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I kept thinking, I'm not going to do political journalism, because there's no way to keep my principles and be a political journalist, so I'll edit a popular science magazine. This will be my salvation, and I'll emerge with my integrity intact. That didn't even happen.
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The greatest felony in the news business today is to be behind, or to miss a big story. So speed and quantity substitute for thoroughness and quality, for accuracy and context.
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I joined the 'Times' in 1972, and I came with the mark of Cain on me because I was clearly against the war. But my editor, Abe Rosenthal, he hired me because he liked stories. He used to come to the Washington bureau and almost literally pat me on the head and say, 'How is my little Commie today? What do you have for me?'
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