Walter Cronkite’s legacy as a journalist is almost untouchable. His steadfast commitment to neutral, fact-driven reporting earned him the title “the most trusted man in America.” Imagine if today’s mainstream media followed even a fraction of his example — our country would be in far better shape. Instead, the left has systematically hollowed out his legacy, just as they’ve done with the credibility of the Nobel Peace Prize.
This Friday at the National Press Club, USC Annenberg’s Walter Cronkite Awards for Excellence in Political Journalism will go to Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow, among other honorees.
Yes, that Rachel Maddow and yes, that Jon Stewart.
Neither of these two people resembles a journalist. Stewart satirizes the news with humor and an undeniable left-wing bent. Rachel Maddow is, well, she’s Rachel Maddow, who once dodged a defamation suit because the judge ruled that no reasonable viewer would take her seriously.
You’d think the phrase “Excellence in Political Journalism” would require actual journalism — reporting, verification, some form of objective fact-finding. Apparently not.
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If Walter Cronkite’s name means anything anymore, it’s being used as a brand to sell the illusion that today’s left-wing punditry is legitimate journalism. The USC Annenberg School of Journalism has effectively turned the Cronkite Awards into the left’s latest pep rally. Make no mistake about it, the inclusion of Stewart and Maddow is a declaration that the old ideas of objectivity and fair reporting have been shoved aside for left-wing activism dressed up as news.
In addition to Maddow, honorees will include Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes, Peter Alexander of NBC News, Julio Vaqueiro of Noticias Telemundo, PBS NewsHour, and John Dickerson, who recently announced his departure from the network, after most recently serving as anchor of CBS Evening News. Also being recognized for local news coverage is KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City and KSL-TV in Salt Lake City.
Stewart, who will send a video message to the ceremony, is being recognized in a new category: comedic news and commentary. A spokesperson said that he is unable to attend because of his upcoming Broadway play, which starts on Monday.
Martin Kaplan, the founding director of the Norman Lear Center and USC Annenberg professor, said in a statement, “The message sent by honoring these winners is that the press isn’t ‘the enemy of the people’ – it’s the firewall between the public and disinformation, abuse of power and corruption.”
There you have it: a de facto admission that this is really about sticking it to Trump. But at what cost? By awarding a journalism prize to a comedian and a pundit whose own lawyers admit she isn’t actually in the business of journalism, USC Annenberg has turned the Walter Cronkite Awards into a punchline. The Cronkite name once stood for trust and integrity. Now it stands for presenting propaganda as truth—and expecting applause for it.
This is how the Walter Cronkite Awards have joined the Nobel Peace Prize in the graveyard of once-prestigious honors. Remember when the Nobel Committee awarded Barack Obama the Peace Prize in 2009, despite his not having accomplished a thing? He essentially won it for not being George W. Bush, and the award’s reputation has never recovered. Even Geir Lundestad, the Nobel Committee’s former secretary, later admitted that it was a mistake, saying it “didn’t achieve what it had hoped for.” No kidding.
The Peace Prize now looks like a participation trophy for global leftism. And now the Cronkite Award has done the same for American journalism.
