When Media Elite Die

Bob Parks, a conservative Republican commentator, takes issue with what he views as media navel-gazing in covering Walter Cronkite's death: "Recently, we've had several opportunities to witness the media masturbation. In 2005 Peter Jennings died. In 2006 ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, as was CBS correspondent Kimberly Dozier. In 2008, Tim Russert passed. In almost all of these cases, all other equally important stories were promptly buried by fellow journalist retrospectives and video tributes. Rival networks all offered their sympathies and comments because we're talking about one of them. Let's not forget, we have soldiers (young and old) dying in The Middle East. As the Commander-in-Chief is their preferred, it's even easier for them to preempt real news for the glorification of one of their own. The elite media class has always thought themselves better than the clueless they inform, but it really becomes evident when they lionize themselves for days following an important passing. And let's not leave the politics out of this. In 2008, both Tony Snow and William F. Buckley died, and both received a fraction of the media attention (outside of the conservative media), so it would appear some media types were considered less worthy of eulogies than others."

Jim Collier, a moderate blogger, thinks the coverage is appropriate but argues that the media should do some soul-searching as well: "'...the most trusted man in America'. The era of trust in the media was born and died with his career. Journalism should mourn itself, as well."

Stephanie Davis, a conservative Republican radio host, writes: "Having grown up during his heyday, the life and times of Walter Cronkite are somewhat obscure. However, Mr. Cronkite’s legacy is not obscure to my father Roy Davis. Today’s podcast features Mr. Davis’s Cronkite observations. Among the most compelling: Cronkite dealt in fact, not opinion. Another: Cronkite trained himself to speak at 124 words per minute."