Walter Cronkite: Eyewitness to History

Called the "most trusted man in America," Walter Cronkite has been the voice of America for over half the century. His tenure as the country's premier broadcast journalist coincided with one of the nation's most turbulent periods, from W.W. II to the Kennedy assassination, through the unrest of the sixties and the mistrust of the seventies. As the anchor of CBS's evening news, Cronkite was as much a maker and part of the history he reported as any national, international political figure. This episode of Biography looks at the career and times of Walter Cronkite. Walter Cronkite: Eyewitness to History would be useful for classes on American history, American Culture, Political Science, Media Studies and Civics. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

OBJECTIVES

By examining the career of Walter Cronkite, students will gain an understanding to the role of the media in American history and culture. They will be able to access the impact of the media on events and how the media is an agent of history and change as well as an observer and reporter.

NATIONAL HISTORY STANDARDS

Walter Cronkite: Eyewitness to History fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: Chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities, historical isues-analysis and decision-making for eras 8, 9 and 10.

• accolade
• ad lib
• apogee
• dote
• ethical
• exponent
• genocide
• inured
• mayhem
• nadir
• niche
• oblivious
• perigee
• precocious
• pretentious
• revered

1. Walter Cronkite has been the reporting the news since World War II. Discuss how he has chronicled the second half of the 20th century.

2. Why is Walter Cronkite called the "voice of America?"

3. Cronkite has been called the "most trusted man in America." Why? How did he earn that title?

4. Discuss how Cronkite's childhood influenced his life and his career.

5. How did Cronkite get his start in journalism?

6. Cronkite, like every other American at the time, was swept up in World War II. How did the war affect Cronkite and his career?

7. How did World War II affect Cronkite emotionally?

8. After the war, Cronkite covered the Nuremberg Trials. What were the Nuremberg trials? Why were they so historic?

9. What was the Cold War? How was it different than a "hot" war? How did Cronkite witness the beginning of the Cold War?

10. How and why did Cronkite become a television broadcaster?

11. Discuss the impact of television on America in the second half of the 20th century.

12. In November of 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Discuss the relationship between the assassination of President Kennedy and Cronkite's career.

13. How did the Kennedy assassination affect America?

14. The decade of the 1960s was one of the most difficult times in American history. Discuss the impact of the turbulence of the 1960s on America.

15. Discuss the role of the media in American history.

1. Create a timeline that illustrates the career of Walter Cronkite.

2. Interview your parents, grandparents or older friends and relatives about the impact of Walter Cronkite on their lives.

3. Write and perform a news broadcast on one of today's important events.

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