The news tonight is that Walter Cronkite died tonight at age 92.

It is sad news. He was important to a lot of people.

I never quite got it. He was known as the most trusted man in America, people called him Uncle Walter. People will feel the loss, even though he's been off the air for a long time.

For me, I really couldn't get the reverence people felt for a man whose job was to read the news on TV.

Back when Cronkite was on TV he embodied a certain image: authoritative, avuncular, stolid. He was trusted because his voice, his whole persona, exuded authority. When they were looking for someone to do his job, he was the right guy for the job.