With the fragmentation of television audiences and the advent of cable and on-demand services, the prestige of being an anchor is not what it was in the days of Walter Cronkite.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Professionally, I remember Cronkite as a kid growing up, and more so for me, the importance of Cronkite was not him sitting there at the anchor desk, but him out there doing things.
Television wasn't prestigious.
I always wanted to be an anchorman, but after college I wound up working behind the scenes at CBS News for 10 years.
The world reacts very strangely to people they see on TV, and I can begin to understand how anchor monsters are made. If you're not careful, you can become used to being treated as though you're special and begin to expect it. For a reporter, that's the kiss of death.
I've always loved watching the news on TV. As a kid, I loved watching Walter Cronkite, for some reason.
My job as a television anchor or television reporter is not to proselytize.
When I first anchored in 1970, I had never seen a woman anchor a news show.
I never wanted to be an anchor for 25 years, and suddenly I wanted to be one.
I worked in three local news markets and in every single one of them, they said: 'You're a lousy anchor. We would love to renew your contract and have you be our lead reporter here, but we're not going to have you anchor.'
Do you know that I was the anchor on the 'CBS Morning Show?' And my newsman was Walter Cronkite.