When it comes to sharing news across a community, technology has definitely evolved. Information was first spread through the phonograph for brief messages between two connections. It was then moved to the radio where news was broadcast across the country and world, and then finally the news was broadcasted through the television where a person could be seen every night.[1] For news to be spread the responsibility rested on the shoulders of the news anchors. Throughout history there have been many anchors who were able to communicate with their audience to make a connected society. The following anchors have been able to speak with their audience using their own personality blurring the line between informational and entertaining.
Edward Murrow: The One who Started it All
If there was one man who should be credited for paving the way for broadcasters and news anchors the title belongs to Edward R. Murrow. He was a man who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. It all started when he was in college where he gained the attention of the National Student Federation of America with his speech criticizing “fraternities, football, and fun” during the Great Depression.[1] At that his career in broadcasting began. In 1935 Murrow became the “director of talks” for (at the time) a small network called CBS.[1] Two years later Murrow was sent to cover European events, including the coronation of King George the VI.[1] For Murrow this was a remarkable event since it was broadcasted not only in Europe but also in America. This story was one of many connecting communities from different countries. Following this celebration in 1938, direct journalism started to get popular. [1] Direct journalism is referred to when the journalist is in the field instead of sitting behind the desk. Because of this trend Murrow’s popularity started to grow even more with his coverage on WWII, starting with war being declared in Germany.[1]
Murrow was able to connect with the audience giving them a first person perspective of the battlefield. Bombs and sirens were heard in the background of his broadcast. During his broadcast Murrow was able to convey the urgency of the situation and increase the concern about war in the states.[1]
“ His moving and graphic terms, broadcast from the heart of London, contributed to the growth of American concern about the war and sympathy for Britain”
From “Murrow, Edward Roscoe” written by William S. Powell
While in his career Murrow created many programs such as “Person to Person” , “See it Now”, and “Small World”.[1] All his programs developed a large devoted audience from both America and Europe. Murrow engaged with his audience covering foreign affairs and interviewing political world leaders, making them informational and entertaining.
Walter Cronkite: America’s Most Trusted Figure
He had the innate good sense not to be arrogant about it. Indeed, his modesty and his dedication were the reasons his wide audience liked him so much — and trusted him.
From “Walter Cronkite Biography” written by Leslie Clark
Although Murrow is the one who created the trail for news anchors, Walter Cronkite was the one who owned that trail. Cronkite was an honest man and was not afraid to share his opinions on air. He covered many historic and controversial stories including the Vietnam War, the Moon Landing, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.[2] Cronkite was the most trusted man in the American community beating out all political leaders, because of the way he communicated with the public.[2] When he was on air Cronkite’s audience was able to pick up his personality and charisma, making him more human than someone they watch reading the news. From watching his many broadcasts Cronkite made it seem like he was having a one on one conversation with the audience when he was broadcasted, never reading off a script and allowing his emotions come through.
This is really demonstrated by his historic broadcast covering the assassination of JFK.[2] He was broadcasted throughout the country, everyone can see his uncensored reaction to the news. The audience watched him take off his glasses and stare towards the camera with a look of disbelief. He spoke with a feeling of grief knowing that America lost their leader.[2] Cronkite always showed his emotions on air whether it was a look of grief, disbelief, or anger.
Television needed a voice, a face, a personality and Cronkite filled this role during this time.
From “Walter Cronkite Biography” written by Leslie Clark
Despite being open about his opinions on air, the audience was entertained because of his personality. With this he was able to connect the community despite their political party even if the story is controversial such as the Watergate Scandal and his coverage on the Democratic and Republican conventions.[2] Cronkite was trustworthy, charismatic and entertaining, making him a fan favorite among news anchors.
Barbara Walters: A Celebrity Among Celebrities
The celebrity herself Barbara Walters or better known as the ‘Million Dollar Baby’. As an anchor she is known for her exclusive interviews with celebrities. Walters made history by being the first women in the co-anchor’s chair. At the time she was the highest paid anchor between both men and women.[3] Walter’s success opened the door for many other female anchors including: Jane Pauley, Katie Couric, and Diane Sawyer.[3] Later in her career Walters moved away from the anchor chair to one on one interviews with celebrities. Her audience found her interviews entertaining because she was able to show compassion towards these people, but also laugh with them.[3] Some of the exclusive people she interviewed includes: Michael Jackson, Barack and Michelle Obama, Donald Trump, Sean Connery, Mike Tyson, and many more.[3]
In one-on-one interviews, she was best known for delving, with genteel insistence, into the private lives and emotional states of movie stars, heads of state and other high-profile subjects.
From The New York Times “Barbra Walters, a First Among TV Newswomen, Is Dead at 93” written by Alessandra Stanley
During her interviews Walters was not afraid to ask these people exclusive questions about their every day life, or their views on controversial topics.[3] Demonstrated during her interview with Sean Connery she asked him about his view on women’s rights and their impact on masculinity. It is shown clearly on her face the discomfort through out the interview but she kept pushing him with questions.
On the other hand Walters was also known for her compassion towards these people. She always knows when to just listen to these people telling their stories and when she spoke it was always words of comfort. During her interview with the Jackson family after Michael’s passing the audience didn’t know at the time was that Walters flew 8,000 miles from Vietnam to get this interview.[3] She was on vacation during this time. The way that Walters spoke with these celebrities made her a celebrity herself. She may have been a news anchor but she found a way to entertain her audience during her interviews because of her remarkable personality.
David Muir: The Man of Our Time
Every night David Muir is on TV with his show “World News Tonight with David Muir”, the most watched night time news program in America.[4] But he wasn’t always at this position. Muir did not start his career at the big table but he has always been covering historic world history. His first remarkable story was about the hijacked planes of 9/11 when he was working for WCVB, a small local news network located in Washington D.C.[4] His story left an impact within the community and he won an Edward R. Murrow Award.[4] He didn’t take the “World News Tonight” table until 2014, taking over for Diane Sawyer. With his leadership, in 2017 “World News Tonight with David Muir” became the most watched nighttime news program after 21 years.[4]
Unafraid to delve into the heart of a story, Muir has covered news from Tehran, Mogadishu, Gaza, Fukushima, Guantanamo Bay, Amman and the Hungarian and Syrian borders.
From “David Muir Biography” written by Biography.com
Muir is not afraid to dive deep into his stories, even traveling to the border of foreign countries. Similar to Walters, Muir has been able to get exclusive interviews with many world leaders including the Pope, and Former Vice President Mike Pence.[4] David Muir is the news anchor for modern time covering important stories like the pandemic, the Trump Scandal, and being on the battle field while Ukraine was at war.
Muir is an anchor who preferred to be out on the field, than sitting at a desk. Similar to Murrow he participates in direct journalism, but unlike Murrow who still sat at the desk just in a different location Muir places himself at the site of action. From the many coverages I watched from him, Muir acknowledges the danger of being out on the field but he still puts himself there to get the story. Muir is dedicated to getting these stories and at shows by the way he travels across the world to talk to these people involved with these event. Muir may be new to the news chair compare to everyone else, but he still leaves and impact because instead of sitting in the chair he is out in the field giving live reports from the site of action.
Final Thoughts
We may not realize at first but news anchor play a key role in our lives every day. There’re there reading the news from 4 in the morning to 11 at night. News Anchor are also responsible for interrupting our shows for that breaking news that the country must know. It only takes one interesting story for the audience to get hooked, watching a broadcast for hours to get any new updates but, it is not only the story that draws in the audience but the anchor themselves. Whether it be their urgency of their voice or even the way they position their body. Just like the saying “no two snowflakes are alike” the same could be said about anchors. Whether they are at the desk or in the field they all find a way to put their personality in their story. Next time when you tune into the news pay close attention to how they are able to incorporate their personalities into their broadcast. You might be able to figure out who these people actually are off the air.
The intended audience for my blog is for people or students interested in the broadcasting career.
Featured Image: “The Cat & Walter Cronkite” by dannysoar is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Sources
- Powell, William S. “Murrow, Edward Roscoe.” Murrow, Edward Roscoe | NCpedia, NCpedia, 1 Jan. 1991, https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/murrow-edward-roscoe. Accesses on 27 Mar. 2023.
2. Clark, Leslie. “Walter Cronkite Biography.” Walter Cronkite | Walter Cronkite Biography | American Masters | PBS, PBS, 26 July 2006, https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/walter-cronkite-about-walter-cronkite/561/. Accessed on 27 Mar. 2023.
3. Stanley, Alessandra. “Barbra Walters, a First Among TV Newswomen, Is Dead at 93.” Barbra Walter, a First Among TV Newswomen, Is Dead at 93 – The New York Times, The New
York Times, 31 Dec. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/30/business/media/barbara-walters-dead.html. Accessed on 27 Mar. 2023.
4. Biography.com Editors. “David Muir Biography.” The Biography.com Website, A&E; Television Network, 1 Apr. 2020, https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/david-muir. Accessed on 29 Mar. 2023.
