Walter Cronkite wasn't the Most Trusted Man in America? Q&A with author Joseph Campbell
"It's safe to say that Walter Cronkite was not the most trusted man in America, and it's safe to say he was not even the most trusted man among newsmen," says American University Professor Joseph Campbell, author of Getting it Wrong.
Campbell says the 1972 survey that gave Cronkite the title of "Most Trusted Man" compared Cronkite with prominent politicians of the time, not newscasters, and so he "inevitably came out on top." He says CBS then used the survey results to promote the network.
"It was a way to tout Walter Cronkite as a source to go to for election coverage among the three networks," says Campbell.
Campbell sat down with ReasonTV's Nick Gillespie to discuss Cronkite and other myths propelled by the media.
Approximately 6 minutes.
Shot by Jim Epstein and Tracy Oppenheimer, and edited by Oppenheimer.
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