Print Says Goodbye to 'America's Anchor'

The man who defined television network news was remembered and honored today -- in print.

Front pages across the country reported the news that Walter Cronkite, former anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News," died Friday night at his home in New York. He was 92.

"America's Iconic TV News Anchor Shaped the Medium and the Nation," says this morning's Washington Post. Cronkite was the anchor of America's first half-hour TV news program. In an appreciation and a column, The Post noted Cronkite's authoritative but calm delivery and a rapport with viewers that garnered him the title "the most trusted public figure in the United States" in 1973.

Before spending 20 years as CBS News anchor, Cronkite's career included radio, public relations and the wire service United Press. Today's Houston Chronicle noted that Cronkite was raised in Houston and got his journalism start there. As a high school student, he delivered The Houston Post. He later wrote for the newspaper. He attended the University of Texas at Austin, a fact The Austin American-Statesman mentioned in its headline. He dropped out to pursue journalism full time.

Cronkite worked in news and sports at KCMO radio in Kansas City. But he was part of the KC media scene long before then, The Kansas City Star reported. His biography noted that at the age of 9, he peddled the Star, making about 10 cents a week.

He loved newspapering but saw the potential of a new medium -- television.

In all, the reporter and anchor covered five decades of history, including stories that defined generations -- the assassinations of JKF, his brother, Robert, and MLK; man's first landing on the moon; and the Watergate scandal.

Cronkite's signature sign-off was "And that's the way it was" followed by the date. Said The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, "most Americans took him at his word."

King of Entertainment News

About noon Pacific time yesterday, a 911 call was made from the mansion where Michael Jackson was living. Less than an hour later, news of his death was reported. Not by cable news channels, newspaper Web sites or the AP. The first news of the pop star's death came from the gossip Web site TMZ.

"With the death of pop star Michael Jackson," the Los Angeles Times reports, "TMZ gave the most potent demonstration yet of its ability to stir the pot of entertainment news."

Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. TMZ, owned and operated by Time Warner, reported the news 18 minutes later. Suspicious of TMZ after its past reporting, many news outlets instead used as a source the Los Angeles Times, which posted the news of Jackson's death at 2:51 p.m.

"The gossip site once again left TV networks and other traditional media outlets scrambling in its wake, even as they attempted to distance themselves from a source widely regarded as salacious, if not disreputable," wrote Scott Collins and Greg Braxton of the Times.

When the Impossible Happens

Twelve hours after a Metro commuter train crash killed at least seven in the nation's capital, the printed edition of The Washington Post arrived at door steps this morning across the D.C. region. With dual "Probe" and "Impact" headlines, The Post provided some clarity to the frantic live local television coverage of the night before.

The Post examined the What -- "Train Strikes Another, Injuring Scores, Stalling Commute" -- and the Why -- "Experts Suspect Failure of Signal System, Operator Error." An additional headline, "Crash Was Supposed To Be Impossible," highlighted key information and a focus of the investigation:"Metro was designed with a fail-safe computerized signal system that is supposed to prevent trains from colliding."

The Post's online coverage began late Monday afternoon with live blogging by the newspaper's commuter/traffic reporter, Dr. Gridlock, and quickly grew to include audio, video and photo galleries. At one point Monday evening, a local TV anchor quoted comments from witness accounts posted to the site.

The Post allowed viewers to share photos from the scene of the worst accident in Metro's 33-year history and provided an interactive that traces the history of accidents on the Metro commuter line. The death toll was increased from six to seven in an 8:30 a.m. update.

Last Day for the Rocky

With today's edition, the Rocky Mountain News in Denver ceases publication.

The newspaper was closed by Scripps after the company lost $16 million in 2008 and was unsuccessful in finding a buyer. "Rocky silenced 55 days short of 150th birthday," the newspaper said on its front page. In a commemorative wrap, the newspaper bid "Goodbye to Colorado" in a note framed by an image of the Rocky's first edition in 1859. The Rocky's Web site features a collection of front pages.

The closure leaves Denver with one newspaper, The Post, which devoted three-quarters of today's front page to the "sudden end to a good friend." In 2001, the Rocky and the Post joined forces in a joint operating agreement.

In writing its obituary, the Rocky described its past: "The Rocky was founded in 1859 by William Byers, one of the most influential figures in Colorado history. Scripps bought the paper in 1926 and immediately began a newspaper war with The Post. That fight ebbed and flowed over the course of the rest of the 20th century, culminating in penny-a-day subscriptions in the late '90s. Perhaps the most critical step for the Rocky occurred in 1942, when then-Editor Jack Foster saved it by adopting the tabloid style it has been known for ever since. Readers loved the change, and circulation took off."

But the Rocky's editor, John Temple, wrote today about current circulation and advertising challenges and "Why Denver can't support two newspapers."

In its goodbye note, the Rocky looked back at its history and ahead to the unknown future of news: "To have reached this day, the final edition of the Rocky Mountain News, just 55 days shy of its 150th birthday is painful. We will scatter. And all that will be left are the stories we have told, captured on microfilm or in digital archives, devices unimaginable in those first days."

Nothing but The Truth

The RV capital of the country, Elkhart, Ind., got a visit from Barack Obama on Monday, as the president pushed for passage of an economic stimulus package. "Who was that guy with Obama?" asked the city's daily newspaper, The Truth. It was Ed Neufeldt, a 62-year-0ld laid-off RV worker chosen to introduce the president during an appearance before 2,000 people at a high school.

Neufeldt believed he was chosen to do the introduction because he earlier was featured on ABC News doing volunteer work at his church.

From the small city with double-digit unemployment, Neufeldt said he hoped the attention from Obama's visit would help his fellow unemployed get back to work.

In the quote of the day, Neufeldt told the newspaper: "It's a new world for me. I feel like Joe the Plumber, except I'm Ed the Unemployed."

An extra edition was published by the The Truth on Monday and included in Tuesday's newspaper.

Six Wins, Seventh Heaven

With Sunday's win over the Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed their sixth Super Bowl victory. "A championship is the Pittsburgh version of seventh heaven," Robert Dvorchak wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The Post-Gazette labeled the team "Lord of the Rings" and summed up the thrilling game with "Harrison's immaculate interception, Holmes' dramatic reception seal Steelers sixth Super Bowl victory, 27-23." Receiver Santonio Holmes, named the game's most valuable player, was pictured the width of the page with arms wide.

The Arizona Republic was all about "Heartbreak" and a "Stinging end to a profound season." Dan Bickley began his front-page column, "In the NFL, they say that nobody remembers who loses the Super Bowl." But in a reference to inside content, the front page said, "Game will be remembered as a classic." "Cardinals nearly win first Super Bowl, then see it snatched away."

Eye on the (Foot) Ball

For the few who weren't tied to their televisions, news Web sites provided top Super Bowl headlines from quarter to quarter:

7:24 p.m.: USA TODAY: "Steelers taking early command."

7:33: The Arizona Republic: "Cards strike back; close lead in second quarter."

7:53 p.m. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Steelers 10 Cardinals 7. Second quarter in progress."

8 p.m.: The Tampa Tribune: "Cardinals go to their strength to close gap."

8:01 p.m.: The New York Post: "Jennifer Hudson returned to the spotlight ... with a flawless performance of the national anthem ..."

8:28 p.m.: USA TODAY: "'The Boss' lights up the Super Bowl."

8:59 p.m.: The Arizona Republic: "Cards' first drive of second half stalls."

9:02 p.m.: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Steelers fans get rowdy after late first-half TD."

9:05 p.m. Los Angeles Times: "Arizona: 7 Pittsburgh: 20."

9:18 p.m.: The New York Times: "Ads That Pushed Our Usual (Well-Worn) Buttons/Few commercials that ran during Super Bowl XLIII offered anything special."

9:28 p.m.: The Arizona Republic: "Fitzgerald touchdown gives Cardinals some hope."

9:50 p.m.: The Arizona Republic: "Cardinals lead on Fitzgerald touchdown."

9:52 p.m.: The New York Times: "Cardinals 23, Steelers 20/In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, the momentum has shifted to Arizona."

9:57 p.m.: The Tampa Tribune: "Fitzgerald's Leap Breathes New Life into Cardinals."

10:01 p.m.: The Tampa Tribune: "Fitzgerald's 2 TDs Thrust Cardinals Into Remarkable Lead."

10:02 p.m.: The Arizona Republic: "Tampa shocker: Cardinals storm back."

10:09: The Washington Post: "Steelers Lead Cardinals, 27-23."

10:10 p.m.: The Arizona Republic: "Miracle season ends inches from title." It added: "The Cards lose a nailbiter in Tampa."

10:12: The New York Times: "Steelers 27, Cardinals 23."

10:14: The Tampa Tribune: "Amazing: Holmes Catch Regains Lead for Steelers."

10:15 p.m.: The New York Times: "Steelers Win Super Bowl."

10:17 p.m.: The Washington Post: "Steelers Capture Super Bowl Over Cardinals."

10:18 p.m. USA TODAY Sports home page: "Steelers Rally to defeat the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII."

10:19 p.m.: USA TODAY: "Curtains for Cards: Steelers win thriller."

10:23 p.m.: Post-Gazette: "Steelers 27 Cardinals 23/Late drive wins sixth Super Bowl."