Walter Cronkite: The First Anchorman…or Was He?
The Origin of the Term “Anchorman”
The term “anchorman” has a long history, dating back to the 10th or 11th century. In an Anglo-Saxon glossary, the word “ancor-man” is given as a translation of the Latin “proreta,” meaning the person on a ship who is in charge of the anchor. Over time, the term “anchorman” has accrued a number of figurative uses, including:
- The person at the end of a tug-of-war team
- The last team member to play in a relay race or bowling game
- The most important member of any sporting team
- The midshipman graduating at the very bottom of the class at the U.S. Naval Academy
John Cameron Swayze: The First True Anchorman?
In the pre-television era, the term “anchorman” was sometimes used to refer to the host of a radio news program. However, it was not until the advent of television that the term took on its modern meaning.
The first person to be widely referred to as an “anchorman” on television was Walter Cronkite. Cronkite was the host of the CBS Evening News from 1962 to 1981, and he became known for his calm and authoritative delivery of the news.
However, recent research by historian Mike Conway suggests that another man, John Cameron Swayze, may have been the first true anchorman. Swayze hosted the NBC quiz show “Who Said That?” from 1948 to 1954, and he was also a news broadcaster on NBC’s top-rated “Camel News Caravan.”
In a presentation at the American Journalism Historians Association conference, Conway presented evidence that the term “anchor man” was used to describe Swayze on “Who Said That?” as early as October 1948. This is several years before Cronkite began hosting the CBS Evening News.
Walter Cronkite: The Most Trusted Man in America
Even if Swayze was the first anchorman, there is no doubt that Cronkite was the most influential. Cronkite’s calm and reassuring presence helped to guide the nation through some of its most difficult times, including the assassination of JFK, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate scandal.
Cronkite was also a pioneer in the field of television journalism. He was the first to use satellite technology to broadcast live reports from around the world, and he helped to establish the credibility of television news.
The Legacy of the Anchorman
The role of the anchorman has changed over the years, but it remains an important one. Anchormen and anchorwomen are responsible for delivering the news to the public in a clear and concise way, and they play a vital role in shaping public opinion.
Some of the most famous anchormen in history include:
- Walter Cronkite
- John Cameron Swayze
- Edward R. Murrow
- David Brinkley
- Tom Brokaw
- Dan Rather
These men and women have all helped to shape the way we think about the news, and they have played a vital role in keeping the public informed.