Blog Post: What would it take today to be named "Most Trusted Person in America"?

Mr. Walter Cronkite passed away last week. As I watched the memorials and commentaries all over the news media, I found myself feeling sad not only for losing the man, but for losing the title of Most Trusted Man in America. And I couldn’t help thinking to myself, what would it take in today’s world to be named Most Trusted Person in America?  Whoever earned this title would have to do something extraordinary, because we live in an age where people seem to follow the rule that it’s ok to do anything they want until they get “caught”.

Many people stepped forward to describe why Mr. Cronkite earned this title – he was honest, he was truthful, he had integrity, he was accountable, he was dedicated, he was consistent, he was responsible, he focused on the news that happened and reported it as it was…. I could go on and on.  

Here’s what made Mr Cronkite extraordinary.  He was dedicated to the news; he focused on reporting what happened each day and he kept his reports short and accurate.  He was also human enough to show his true thoughts and emotions and he took his responsibility for reporting the news seriously.  He was objective, but he took the time to get his facts straight before informing his viewers what was happening.  And that’s the way it was....

Will we ever see this type of behavior again? One can only hope!