Cronkite's broadcasts helped mark my formative years, and maybe yours too. From the death of JFK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXHh-BWR5rM, to the lunar landing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwaA-hbvYF8, he earned our eyes, ears and hearts each night by giving us the NEWS, and just the NEWS. All journalists of the day operated within the confines of a detailed set of standards and code of ethics. Chief among these standards were the fair and balanced reporting of an event, and the clear delineation between NEWS and commentary. Sadly, no such standards have been subscribed to in most Western media for many years now.
What we call NEWS today, is really a maelstrom of information, misinformation, bias and clandestine agenda. A hodgepodge of loose talk and innuendo, aimed at keeping us tuned in no matter the costs. It is no surprise that in the uber-information era this challenge exists. What is surprising to most though is how profound the effects of an unbridled media have been on our social and political discourse.
This is when Uncle Walter would say something like..."Since it's too late to get THAT genie back in the bottle, we'd better get a smaller genie--and that's the way it is."
