Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Kronkiters

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJ8LSbu0UromHMQFFTvT78VgRwHwD99ST9100

The Associated Press
5 August 2009

The term 'Cronkiter' faces scrutiny, debunking

By FRAZIER MOORE (AP)

NEW YORK — Legendary figures sometimes find a few tall tales seeping into their obits when they die. Their legendary status invites it.

But the case of Walter Cronkite packs a special brand of irony. Turns out, the anchorman who prided himself on accuracy helped perpetuate an unfounded claim that newscasters in Sweden and Holland had been nicknamed "cronkiters." [...]

http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2009/07/31/07

[Podcast and transcript]

On the Media
31 July 2009

Too Good to Check

Did you know that Walter Cronkite is so identified with the news business that in Sweden an anchorman is called a "Kronkiter"? And speaking of anchorman, did you know that word was coined in the 1950s to define Cronkite’s role on broadcast TV? Neither did we. Perhaps because none of it is true. Ben Zimmer, executive producer of the Visual Thesaurus, traced some of the myths surrounding the man who was once the most trusted in America. [...]

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