GN Commentary: July 20, 2009 - Cronkite's Legacy of Trust

What kind of legacy will you and I leave behind?

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Video Transcript

This past weekend one of the giants of American journalism, Walter Cronkite, passed away.  Tributes from colleagues, government officials, and friends have only begun, but it is abundantly clear–America has lost a national treasure.

Why did America trust this man?

Ted Koppel called him our national town crier. Former president Bill Clinton said, "To me, he represents the best of the First Amendment." Diane Sawyer said, "There was a time when one person could say, 'That's the way it is,' and we all trusted it was true." She continued, "I think he was the most wonderful combination of a certain steel of integrity, but absolute humanity."

Many of us have our own memories of Walter Cronkite and his unique role in the history of the last century. Some remember his reports from the front lines of World War 2 and Viet Nam. Many remember the moving scene in 1963 of Cronkite struggling to control his own emotions when he brought the nation the news that John F. Kennedy had died by an assassin's bullet. Six years later it was Cronkite's voice that jubilantly reported that the "Eagle" had landed man for the first time on the lunar surface. When Cronkite, reporting from the city of Hue during the Tet offensive in the Viet Nam war, told America that the official government reports were not true, President Lyndon Johnson reportedly said, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost middle America."

Walter Cronkite did not achieve this level of respect and admiration simply because fate placed him in the right place at the right time. He was a man for whom personal integrity was important. His word could be trusted. He did not simply say what the rich and powerful wanted him to say. His character was not for sale at any price. As a result, he leaves a legacy of personal honor and courage.

What kind of legacy will you and I leave behind? It's doubtful that any of us will ever affect the public to the degree that Cronkite did, but does that make our personal legacy less important? He knew that any influence he had depended upon being a person whose word could always be trusted. That principle is just as true in our private lives as it is in the news media or government or business, and it doesn't depend upon where we are or who's watching. It depends upon consistently choosing to be honest in every situation regardless of the consequences.

King Solomon wrote, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." [Prov 22:1 NIV] Walter Cronkite earned the respect of a nation because he would not compromise his personal integrity. That same choice is just as important for you and me.

For GN Magazine, I'm David Johnson.