Walter Cronkite to Write Weekly Column

By: Dave Astor Walter Cronkite, 86, is taking the plunge into weekly opinion writing with a column King Features Syndicate will distribute starting in early August.

The former CBS News anchor has declined a number of column offers in the past. Why did he agree to do one now? In a quote released via King, Cronkite said he is troubled by "our bellicose military policy; our arrogant foreign policy; our domestic security policy that threatens our freedom of speech, press, and person; and our financial policy that many if not most economists believe threatens a national deficit deep into this century."

Cronkite will write about these Bush-administration policies as well as the 2004 elections, the media, and various other topics.

King Managing Editor Glenn Mott told E&P Online that Cronkite's liberal voice will give newspapers an alternative to the many conservative voices distributed by King and other syndicates.

Mott approached Cronkite about doing a column after reading a 2002 New York Times piece Cronkite wrote about the increasing corporatization of the media.

He said Cronkite is still "an extremely active and extremely sharp" man who never really retired after stepping down as CBS News anchor in 1981 (when he was succeeded by Dan Rather, who, coincidentally, also writes a King column). During the past 22 years, Cronkite has been a special correspondent for CBS News, cofounded a company that has produced more than 60 documentaries, written his autobiography, and more.

Cronkite began his journalism career in the 1930s at various newspapers and radio stations before covering World War II for United Press. He joined CBS in 1950.

"He's seen many of the major events of the past century -- and probably known every president since Franklin Roosevelt," said Mott. "He has historical perspective and credibility."

Mott said a number of newspapers have already purchased the column, but declined to give an exact figure.