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2010 winners will be announced in April.

Winners of the 2009 Gabriel Award competition. 


 

 Catholic Academy Prayerfully Remembers Walter Cronkite,  1980 Personal Achievement Winner

Walter Cronkite passed away July 17 at the age of 92. News web sites carried the headline, his picture and stories of his long career. All that was written and spoken the past few days was much deserved. Yet, as I reflect on his pass ing, the first thought that came to mind is that such a large percentage of Americans have no idea what this man meant to our country during some of its most critical periods in the tumultuous period of the 1960s, 70s and early 80s.  

 
It was Cronkite who, fighting to control the emotional tumult inside him, broke the news to the country that John F. Kennedy was dead. It was Cronkite who guided Americans through those emotional and difficult days of a nation and a world in mourning. It was Cronkite, the professional journalist, who on a nightly basis came into America’s homes to help explain to a confused and worried nation the events of the day with even-handed perspective. And it was a worried nation, still reeling from the Kennedy assassination, that plunged headlong into the fight for civil rights, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, the raucous Democratic Convention of 1968 and the Watergate hearings. Overshadowing and overriding all of those tragic events was the never ending Vietnam War. News rooms throughout the country faced difficult news decisions about how to cover the way and when to begin asking the tough questions. It was a time when the practice of journalism was based on ethical standards unlike today’s 24/7 news cycle. News departments faced one deadline, the evening news and had the day to formulate their stories, check and cross-check facts and sources. To those of us who came up in broadcasting during the reign of Walter Cronkite, we knew the debates that were taking place in news room meetings on a daily basis over the war coverage. A number of people were upset when Cronkite took a risky step and began questioning whether the war could be won, while others thanked him for publicly raising the question. Yet, amidst all the fear and angst there were a few times when Americans had reason to stop and take a breath. One of those snapshots was the “Oh, boy!” moment, two simple words uttered by Cronkite that fittingly captured the pride the country was sharing when we landed on the moon.

It was a challenging 20 years of American history that Cronkite helped guide us through. Yes, Huntley and Brinkley were on NBC and Frank Reynolds was on ABC, but it was the era of Cronkite and he accepted the responsibility humbly. For those of us starting out in journalism at the time, he was our role model.

Last year, the nation mourned the sudden death of Tim Russert, another giant of the Fourth Estate. Many hours were spent on his life on all news channels because of the example he set. Walter Cronkite will not get that type of lengthy coverage, mainly because he stepped down from the news set 28 years ago. But he is no less deserving. While he covered history, for many of us, he was part of that history. He was the play-by-play announcer of the day’s events, calling the big games during that 20 year period, doing his best not to be a ‘homer’, but working to report each play accurately.

During his career, Walter Cronkite received numerous awards and recognition, all well-deserved. In 1980, Unda-USA honored his stellar career by presenting him with the Gabriel Personal Achievement Award.

Called by many “the most trusted man in America,” at the end of his nightly broadcast, when he closed with the words, “And that’s the way it is,” America knew that’s the way it was.

On behalf of the Catholic Academy, I extend our sympathy and prayers to the family of Mr. Walter Cronkite.

Frank Morock

President

Photos courtesy of CBS News

The Gabriel Awards are designed to honor works of excellence in film, network and cable television and radio programs.  These include, feature films and documentaries, entertainment and news programming, public service announcements, and stations which serve audiences through the positive, creative treatment of concerns to humankind.  Categories for TV and radio include both English and Spanish language programs.

The single most important criterion of a Gabriel winning film or program is its ability to uplift and nourish the human spirit.  A Gabriel-worthy film or program affirms the dignity of human persons; it recognizes and upholds universally-recognized human values such as community, creativity, tolerance, justice, compassion and the dedication to excellence.

Open to all Radio and Television Stations and Producers in the United States and Canada.

By sponsoring this annual awards competition, Catholic Academy hopes to encourage broadcasters and producers to produce films and programming that serve, enriche and challenge their audiences. 

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The Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals is grateful to the following sponsors of the 2010 Gabriel Awards.

Archangel and Personal Achievement Award sponsor - Family Theater Productions
Guardian Angel - Odyssey Networks