America’s “most trusted man” and the TV news anchor for a generation is gone.

But it’s Walter Cronkite’s legacy that will remain in our collective memories until our own earthly deaths.

Cronkite anchored the CBS Evening News from 1962 until 1981, a remarkable tenure. Ironically, he was the first TV news personality to be dubbed as the news “anchor.”

It says something about you when a new word usage is coined to describe what you do. Cronkite was, indeed, an anchor for the CBS News organization.

But he was more than that.

He was the face of news for America. He came into America’s living rooms for nearly 20 years ending each broadcast with his famous, “And that’s the way that it is.”

Cronkite famously reported the frightening news that America’s young president, John F. Kennedy, was shot and killed in Dallas.

He reported the unfolding of events from Dallas with unwavering professionalism, right up until the moment when Kennedy’s death was confirmed.

He fought back tears and his voiced wavered for a moment after confirming for the nation that Kennedy was dead.

Cronkite was many things in his life, but for millions of Americans, he was just one of us. He could be trusted, famously earning the title of “the most trusted man in America” in a 1972 national poll.

In the deepest throes of the Vietnam War, Cronkite’s editorial in which he declared America was “mired in stalemate” changed the mood of the country and its leaders.

Cronkite reported on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Watergate and the Iran hostage situation. He was there, holding the nation’s collective hand and providing a sense of understanding to situations that were often unimaginable in the moment.

But Cronkite wasn’t only in America’s living rooms reporting the sad news; he was there for some amazingly thrilling feats, too.

He reported with great fascination America’s space race, ultimately chronicling the first lunar landing.

His emotions were evident as he said, “Look at those pictures, wow!” as American Astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon.

For the younger people who may not remember Cronkite, it may be difficult to understand how important the nightly news was back then.

Those were the days before the Internet and before cable TV. Most Americans could only pick up a few TV channels so national news and unfolding events were much more unique than they are today.

Today, rockets blast off without much notice. Americans are still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the country hardly pauses.

Cronkite wouldn’t approve.

And he didn’t approve of the trend of trading in serious newsgathering and in-depth reporting in an attempt to gain more viewers that has corrupted modern TV news.

In a 1994 interview with American Journalism Review, Cronkite pointed out why the free press — and an educated, informed audience — was so important.

“Like so many of our problems today it all starts with education,” he said. “We need to teach (children) how to read a newspaper, how to listen to radio, how to watch television, how to understand a film, so that they become properly skeptical.”

And that’s the way that he was.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.