Perhaps if all the peoples of the world understand what war really means, we would eliminate it.
Walter CronkiteRead
Helping set the day's agenda and deciding what we used and editing it, that was a journalistic high point. I liked reporting as well. Just doing the news - the live performance - wasn't important. Working on the desk was.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of planning and editorial decisions in journalism over simply reporting events.
Walter Cronkite reflects on his experience in journalism, highlighting that the real achievement lies in shaping narratives and managing content rather than the act of reporting live news itself. He values the editorial work that influences how the day's news is presented to the audience, seeing it as a critical aspect of journalism that requires skill and insight.
Themes
JournalismReportingEditorialAgendaNews
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on media ethics, I quoted Cronkite to emphasize the responsibility of editors.
More from Walter Cronkite
All quotes βThe 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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The Post-Dispatch will serve no party but the people; be no organ of Republicanism, but the organ of truth; will follow no causes bit its conclusions; will not support the Administration, but criticize it; will oppose all frauds and shams wherever or whatever they are; will advocate principles and ideas rather than prejudices and partisanship.
Joseph PulitzerRead
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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We cannot make good news out of bad practice.
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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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