Sofa Snark: Remembering Walter Cronkite

James Sims hasn't figured out what's more entertaining, Hollywood buzz or Broadway chatter. So he's decided to start blogging about both. Sofa Snark is an entertainment biz blog covering everything from prime-time TV to Broadway reviews. If you can figure out anything that falls in between, he's bound to have an opinion about that too. As a Senior Editor at BroadwayWorld.com, and with gigs at "Entertainment Tonight" and the Hollywood Reporter under his belt, he's ready to unleash his wit on the world, one blog at a time.

Visit http://www.simsscoop.com/blog/ for daily blogging and follow James on Twitter at @columbiajames.

This blog was first created for the purpose of entertainment reporting and opining, however, with the passing of Walter Cronkite, I felt it necessary to pay respect to one of the most honorable news reporters to grace television screens.  He was not an entertainer — unlike many delivering the news today.  Cronkite told the news as it happened.  With his memorable tag out, “And that’s the way it is…” he emphasized that the news just delivered was neither bias nor opinionated.  There was no need for constant reminding of his newscast being fair and balanced.  What Cronkite said could be trusted by all Americans as the news and nothing more.  Although, he did have a few moments of emotion and opinion, be it his final take on Vietnam or his moment of anguish over the death of President John F. Kennedy.

A fellow Huffington Post blogger, Richard Sine, recently posted an article urging journalism schools to close their doors.  As a recent graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, I would urge Mr. Sine and his ilk to look back upon Cronkite’s career and integrity.  In fact, he approved of his name being used for a journalism school.  He believed in ethics and the learned practice of reporting.  As President Obama said, Cronkite set the standard for which all others are judged.  Cronkite was indeed an icon.

CBS and Katie Couric should be credited for putting together a respectable tribute to Cronkite.  Here is that special edition of “CBS Evening News,” originally aired the night Cronkite died, July 17, 2009.

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