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Old 07-18-2009, 11:03 AM
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MS Fowler MS Fowler is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Littlestown PA ( 6 miles south of Gettysburg)
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"Uncle Walter" was a fixture in most American homes in the turbulent 60s and 70s.
He was a liberal; but admitted freely that Journalism attracts more liberals than conservatives--unlike today's advocacy propagandists who swear to their "objectivity". I consider him the beginnings of the "advocacy Journalist". When he became convinced that Viet Nam was a losing proposition, he used all his journalistic skill to sell that idea to the American public. His mis-reporting of the Tet offensive probably did more to lose that war for this country that any other single thing. As the people who were there, on the ground, will tell you, Tet was a military disaster for the Viet Cong, but the impression here, at home, was that it was a disaster for the US forces. Cronkite had a reputation that allowed him to sincerely sell his version of the story.
He was the face of the US space program, dutifully reporting every launch,as well as the Apollo I tragedy. It is ironic that he died during the 40th anniversary of the moon landings.
He was the face of the Kennedy assassinations.
We will not likely see any of his statue for a long time-- A true celebrity who was not impressed by his own celebrity.
Good bye, Uncle Walter.
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