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A Retrospective: 28 Media Leaders Who Died This Decade

The Aughts

by Danny Groner | 12:52 pm, December 4th, 2009

» 7 comments

2009

Who: Ed McMahon
Major Accomplishment: McMahon was one of the most recognizable men in America. Indeed, for decades he was one of television’s most ubiquitous pitchmen, selling everything from boats to beer. He was the host of the long-running television talent show “Star Search” and wrote some popular books, including his memoirs.
Legacy: McMahon regarded his friendship with Johnny Carson as a marriage of sorts. “Most comic teams are not good friends or even friends at all,” he wrote in “Here’s Johnny.” “For 40 years Johnny and I were as close as two nonmarried people can be,” he wrote. “And if he heard me say that, he might say, ‘Ed, I always felt you were my insignificant other.’”

waltercronkite

Who: Walter Cronkite
Major Accomplishment: From 1962 to 1981, Cronkite was a nightly presence in American homes and always a reassuring one, guiding viewers through national triumphs and tragedies alike, from moonwalks to war, in an era when network news was central to many people’s lives. He became something of a national institution, with an unflappable delivery, a distinctively avuncular voice and a daily benediction: “And that’s the way it is.”
Legacy: “He had already won Emmy Awards, a Peabody and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and he continued to pile up accolades. Arizona State University named its journalism school after him. In July 2006, PBS broadcast a 90-minute “American Masters” special on Cronkite’s career. Sidney Lumet, the filmmaker, appeared and said, “He seemed to me incorruptible in a profession that was easily corrupted.”

455

Who: Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Major Accomplishment: The first Special Olympics brought together 1,000 athletes from 26 states and Canada for competition. In December 1968, Special Olympics Inc. was established as a nonprofit charitable organization. Since then, the program has grown to almost three million athletes in more than 180 countries.
Legacy: “When the full judgment of the Kennedy legacy is made — including J.F.K.’s Peace Corps and Alliance for Progress, Robert Kennedy’s passion for civil rights and Ted Kennedy’s efforts on health care, workplace reform and refugees — the changes wrought by Eunice Shriver may well be seen as the most consequential,” U.S. News & World Report said in its cover story of Nov. 15, 1993.

Safire, William

Who: William Safire
Major Accomplishment: Safire won his Pulitzer Prize for columns that accused President Jimmy Carter’s budget director, Bert Lance, of shady financial dealings. Lance resigned, but was acquitted in a trial. He then befriended his accuser.
Legacy: Safire called Hillary Clinton a “congenital liar” in print. Clinton said she was offended only for her mother’s sake. But a White House aide said that Bill Clinton, “if he were not the president, would have delivered a more forceful response on the bridge of Safire’s nose.” Safire was delighted, especially with the proper use of the conditional.

>>>NEXT: An UPDATE featuring 5 black media leaders we lost this decade…

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ImNotBlue

No Farrah Fawcett? She was a media icon! That poster alone was a huge deal!

But perhaps more confusing, no Michael Jackson?

Sure we’re all sick of hearing about the coverage… but come on, if ever there was a media star, he was it. From the birth of the music video, to the television commercials, to the movies, to the wacky stuff in the later years… not to mention the music… MJ was all things media! I think he deserves to be on the list, for sure.
Jim R

Well done, Danny, a significant list indeed.
Rel E Vant

What, no Ed Bradley?

Guess it only matters if we lose white “media leaders,” huh?

And for the record, including Kate Hepburn, Bob Hope, William Hanna and Johnny Carson is totally stretching the “media” designation beyond all recognition.
ClarkKent_DC

These are “the figures who helped define, shape and set the standards in their industries” — but there’s no mention of John H. Johnson, founder of Ebony magazine? Carl T. Rowan, public servant, author and columnist? Ed Bradley, “60 Minutes” correspondent? August Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright? Not even Richard Pryor or Michael Jackson?
wdawkins

Thank you for updating the list.

Do understand that the criticism of the lack of diversity this morning was not a matter special pleading, but was based on merit. The gaping omissions spoke to credibility and authenticity of the list.

Regarding the additions, Chisholm did not win a primary, but she changed the California winner-take-all primary system in 1972.

Johnson’s Ebony/Jet had iconic journalistic moments and products: The Emmett Till casket photo in 1955, the photo of widow Coretta Scott King in 1968 and the seminal book “Before the Mayflower” by editor and popular historian Lerone Bennett Jr.
asamuels

Why is the original list still available to be found on this site without having the mea culpa added to it? Also, your description of John Johnson is unacceptable.To state that the only reason why Ebony and Jet magazines were remarkable is because of race-specific advertising is missing the point in its entirety. The Johnson magazine empire is legendary because Johnson dared do – and succeeded – where others could not. Black folks were being lynched for being able to read and write and Johnson still decided to start a magazine that uplifted black folk.

Johnson was friends with presidents. He created America’s first black magazine amidst a most dangerous time. He gave opportunity to black journalists when whites were too racist to be bothered with us. I don’t know who wrote up this description, but a simple Google search would have turned up quite a bit more. You could also have read his bio or gone to the Web site. He was not legendary because of advertising alone. He’s legendary because he put black people on magazine covers. He told the stories of black people. He helped to cement our perceptions of black beauty. Most importantly though, for the first three decades, he told our stories when no one else would.

He’s legendary because he started something big and it stuck.
Gdub

So by adding five African-Americans of note to the end of this list, we should be pleased? Are you serious? And what about other people “of color?” This was handled very, very poorly, all-around.