Perhaps if all the peoples of the world understand what war really means, we would eliminate it.
Walter CronkiteRead
I don't believe in these headline-hunting interviews. That's just not my style.
Interpretation
Walter Cronkite emphasizes the importance of integrity and authenticity in journalism over sensationalism.
In this quote, Walter Cronkite expresses his disdain for interviews that seem designed to attract attention rather than provide meaningful content. He values a style of journalism that prioritizes substance and truth over the pursuit of headlines, illustrating a commitment to the ethical standards of the profession.
In practice
A public speaker might use this quote to illustrate the importance of integrity in communication.
Perhaps if all the peoples of the world understand what war really means, we would eliminate it.
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.
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.
Objective journalism and an opinion column are about as similar as the Bible and Playboy magazine.
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.
I think that our comfort is in our history.
If youre a reporter, the easiest thing in the world is to get a story. The hardest thing is to verify. The old sins were about getting something wrong, that was a cardinal sin. The new sin is to be boring.
I don't think that my kind of journalism has ever been universally popular. It's lonely out here.
The biggest problem I have in journalism is being quoted or misquoted and then being asked to defend something I haven't said.
The Center for Public Integrity is the real thing. A group of dedicated people who remember that great journalism is about grit and guts and stamina and razor-sharp instincts. They are, thank heaven, here to stay.
My inclination, as an old-school, classically trained journalist, is not to go with a story unless I have it hard. It's not good enough to say something based on rumors that were flying around.
I suppose, in the end, we journalists try - or should try - to be the first impartial witnesses of history. If we have any reason for our existence, the least must be our ability to report history as it happens so that no one can say: 'we didn't know - no one told us.'
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