Midday; Walter Kronkite

The man who is perhaps the most widely recognized journalist in the United States was in the twin cities recently. Walter Cronkite hanker man for CBS Television's evening news show was in Minneapolis October 2nd to attend WCCO radio's 50th anniversary celebration. While Cronkite was here he held an informal conference with reporters. The Watergate story was one which stayed in the news a long time and of course CBS and the other networks devoted hundreds of hours of coverage to the story. But after a while for many Americans the more they heard about Watergate the less they wanted to hear Cronkite was asked whether he got tired of the Watergate story. But you have to be rewarded for continuing

your drive to get there. Think as to character. Basically you're going to find out about the men who were you. You'd rather pick up a new book. Weathering the ideological illogical of your journalism I think you've got to stay on top of this by the back. Biting biting more like that. Thanks for the other Taylor. It's just

that that's saying a lot of things. One of the leaders and certainly with the religious man on the street and I think step on the back because I think that Arthur Davis got his work cut out for him. Think this is. Something that is going to require constant vigilance. The fact that the Nixon administration is going to mean that the pressure is against going to. Freedom for broadcast in particular is important can rapid not look like you're good with you and your you know as we're going to a lot better than a lot of work to do and we've got our eyes were set up and. CBS along of course are the.

Norm. I think there are probably higher than they've ever been. The responsibility of the press. In this country is greater than it's ever been. We don't see nearly the sort of sensationalism in the press we know. Back through the years. Generation vets get better and more and more of. Course. The backsliders or. On principle that our business is that it doesn't. There are so far in the minority. Educational level the higher the or the or the general newspaperman Sharman unloveable of them go on

and really do basically a professional high professional standard. I. Don't have any. Concern about a problem for Bush. Virus or returning. Partner anyway Korea or. I hope. That if we do it with a more successful American bar and ethical standards certainly get fever the thing that many of their operation American Medical Association is much the same problem. But that hasn't proved to be. The answer to every question as though that something inside of people. And I think a newspaperman stand that test for they don't know where.

You are going to get it. First. Yes I don't mind saying what I don't like the idea the Press Council. I think individual newspaper which is the kind of story live in her journal you originally and think of something you find time on radio or television or a good idea there to somebody reach newspaper and radio television station to answer the critics and the answer The people have complaints against the paper a little more perhaps acknowledgment of errors and correction of them not only just factual errors but maybe errors and in emphasis and so forth. But to have an outside body try to second guess this new judge is very bothersome for them and I don't think it can do it

that authorial basis. And if you're talking about trying to recruit for the really sensational press when it rises. That's not going to do any good anyway because the body is not going to stop the guy who really is going after any press. Bashing the tabloid so I don't see where I have to. It seemed to me it was the window dressing most of the plaque a critic and I have not I don't think we should worry about locking your parents and have it for October 7. And the ABC really saved them and that one of the 7 coming up with your reported political aspiration. I guess I'm tipping off the the gavotte program of whether the money or they can be ridiculous. I think it's a. I

think it's unfortunate that newsman in some cases have tried to translate. What they consider. Popularity perhaps because you are who you are your listeners and political power. CBS's Dan Rather was recently taken off his beat as WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT Some newspaper accounts of charges at Rather's removal stemmed from the apparent adversary role he played with former President Nixon. It was said that CBS wanted to avoid any similar situations with President Ford. So rather was replaced Cronkite was asked if those accounts were true I don't believe it to be the case. I'm not privy to every issue you made in the higher levels of CBS I would be present. During that period and if I had been I wouldn't have been in what would show a lot of them really outside of it except that I don't think that's the way CBS would. Never think CBS for all of that but would you

suggest that the sort of pressure before and I just doubt seriously it did this and I know they been talking for a couple of years about them moving on from the White House beat. The newspapers for years. Many newspapers have changed their White House correspondent with a change of administration. It's a good time to make the move. And that seems to be the case as I'm sure the Case with us. I have no way to back that up of the other people tell me that CBS fire leveled I asked the question to her that happened what or the reason behind it. And the issue for me that there was nothing. And the pressure. To remove him. I mean to which that you know it. May have been some pressure from him saying you know there are a lot of other it's pressure that we didn't you two years I don't know why that you know on that or that make any sense.

What was your. Relationship. What. Was that thing that type of relationship. Well what is unfortunate about that is not that the relationship was what it was because that relationship was one that was I think purely the sponsibility the president himself. I never saw them disrespectful or carrying a chip on their shoulder any more than anybody else at the White House in the normal average relationship for the press to the to the subject. And there have been seven presidents in the past about a lot more reason to react the next and two to the press corps generally I think what is unfortunate is that the newsman and televised news conference and all that the newsman becomes a kind of an

actor in the drama. And that's unfortunate. I'd like to see the newsman more. It's too bad that it would appear to be a one on one confrontation between a Dan Rather the president of states or anybody else in Iran that's him. But in other states or whatever it's that I think unfortunately. You know there are other newsmen and press corps in Washington. We're just topper topper than Dan Rather I think than Morris and I liked like this question. Like there's the goodness like gumption. I like everything about his reporting the war but rather than doing that for 20 30 40 years and because of the nature of television confrontation never had quite gotten to that stage and in that they're almost unknown to the public. Clark Molinari who actually served Nixon and

served him very well Nixon certainly I think far less gracious questioner the president very news guy but then just a little bit of intrigue at the conclusion of President Nixon's resignation speech Dan Rather said this was his finest moment. Next to Iraq you might imply that he covered himself with this green thing to do. It's almost in every city. Dan Rather. It was the talk about this afterwards. I think you know I don't get it toward television journalism because obviously you know what they were thinking. Well I think that Eric and Dan and I all kind of said the same things about about that point kind of being kind about it if you will. And then Roger came

in and smashed right away at it which is fine and as you say it it sure that there wasn't any collusion certainly. I don't I don't see anything particularly wrong with this I think that the and the three of us who were called combined and called about it sort of felt that that this was the culmination of a rather massive tragedy personal as well as national and we were sort of treating it as such or as Roger was was remaining the hard nosed new man an adult analyst at that moment. You know little from everybody or the lack of Incidentally I had a I had a cab driver the next day as I was going to the airport in Washington say I'm sure you thought of last night. THANK YOU THANK YOU DID YOU KNOW

WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHO DIED. Wondering where you are. Comfortable. You mean in public. Well you know PRESIDENT Well obviously. I regret the way it turned. Tragedy. Personal courage of believable dimensions for the individual. It certainly fired all that's been of the proving that the system works and all that sort of thing was an unhappy episode. The American people goodness knows what we've lost and what kind of trouble we're in the fires of government stagnated for two years all of this is

something that well that part of the year it is something we'll need to deal with it. Didn't open a can of the person I looked at it rather than waiting with whole public government oh dear. She didn't work papers. Nope I'm one of five year that nigga accurately did that any person having it. Do you think this and you are having. I don't they're going to question them include your phone or objective they're going to think of them like you know you got to get the record of people taking things out

of context would get stuck with the above book and that been further on the right that's a bit but that's what every movement places in every story. Most stories you write and the mark of a professional journalist is that the recognition from prejudice and then learn how to try to put it that you don't want that. There's anything that burns me up over these recent years as the youthful approaches to journalism and advocacy. But the argument that because you can't be 100 percent objective you shouldn't maintain your objective and therefore you're supposed to be I assume the worst that statement is 100 percent biased. Well that's impossible I mean you can't have a free press in journalism on that basis. And if everybody is going to inject himself in there restore Iraq where are we going to get the the basic set of facts on which people can then make their judgment the right advocacy journalists

you know they're they're they're running them a bit in the street right into a brick wall that we've always had that journalism we always should we always ensure that we have and we should continue the first person stories how the thing is but they don't belong on the front page and probably all of the newscasts. First reports they belong in a category under identifies the first person story. And that's where the stuff is not as the report on the get. Go You're a reviewer. If you're getting sick and tired of the news media to go into the operating room and dissected and cut apart and chopped up by sociologists psychologists insurgent mortars then you notice the decline of this kind of thing. You know quite a bit of decline and at that there was a fad isn't there for a

while and criticizing the new media more cynically a lot of people picked up for the form and ran with it and had a salutary effect it wasn't worth it didn't hurt at all and some of the more serious Gooding's criticisms that have resulted from that have been most welcome. But but the fact is I'm not annoyed me. Journalism University responded he said that he thought the networks and the other deep pooled in their sales. Do you know who they are. I don't think the networks did I don't know I don't can't answer for all the local stations what might have happened in that regard of the way. I just don't know on a network level I don't think that was so I really don't believe it happened. I wouldn't say that it was not without effect subconscious but

maybe that subconscious effect really consciously had a counteractive force because I was afraid of it. The effect in subconsciously already in the selection of items and therefore bend over backwards to be sure we covered every aspect of the administration that might otherwise not have been go. To. Court or. Court. Oh yes I think so completely. I do think that there's a Caesar's wife problem keeping up appearances possibly under any and certainly makes it very difficult. The junket idea on the other. I do think that I think the

stations of man were not permitted. I should think that this is a matter of individuals and aphoristic and an awful lot of junk that picked up the bill. And for goodness sake that's true. Television columnist New York under CBS's auspices maybe sleep. I don't know. That they necessarily right. They were everything there but I think the small newspapers broadcast station people getting out seeing more of the world by the suggestion that anybody who buys some of them want to go to get a newspaper. If you

think that that much you know why don't we take a little easier for goodness sake. We're journalists we're new but we know what we go and we do it well I think but greater than if they were the responsibility with them if they ever got me. I don't think we ought to let our critics constantly need or vote in a little poem to take biopsies every time we write a story. Whether it was anything city of during last year's television season Cronkite appeared on CBS's Mary Tyler Moore Show at the conference he was asked what kind of reaction he got after his appearance. Pretty good pretty good with some people and dignified glee for people who want the bother me and I enjoyed it I like that too

that like people of the I don't know the like the images for good bacteria in the world but but it would amuse very great body I thought to have something to do with your life. Brittany was here. You know a lot of people don't like to write their own you know really because of a cover up taken to the assumption that what I play in is the only way it is or that if they take it that way then they're right in their group. But I started saying of a different vein and I still mean it no different than the government played over criticism I haven't dropped it yet I probably will from because of it. People accepted it and. Then that if it's subject to that interpretation of a subject that your

patient probably shouldn't be you. I'm just stubborn. Walter Cronkite almost became a Minnesotan in the mid 1950s Cronkite was offered the job of Anchorman a WCCO television in Minneapolis. Cronkite said he almost took it but of course he didn't. He took the job at CBS. In retrospect does he regret not having taken the Minneapolis job. Where are your feelings toward the dishonest group. I think they've been very rewarding life. I certainly know if I'd come there would have been a regret I would have known about the other parts of it. What was the result of. The work

that made. Maybe partly. I think it really barely got New York and I would think the CBS television newscaster Walter Cronkite. This is Sam Ford.