Wolf Blitzer, the award-winning anchor of CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” was honored with the 41st Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism on Tuesday, Feb. 4, during a luncheon at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix.
Blitzer, who was unable to attend, sent a video message thanking the Cronkite community for the honor and encouraging students to remain committed to ethics and integrity in journalism.
“The method of communication will change, but the principles of journalism should not, ” Blitzer said. “Facts matter, the First Amendment matters, a free press matters.”
The award event, presented by Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, attracted nearly 1,000 attendees, including leaders in the worlds of media, politics and business, and supported scholarships for Cronkite students.
Accepting on his behalf, CNN anchor Pamela Brown said Blitzer embodies the spirit of the late Walter Cronkite and is the consummate journalist. CNN recently announced Brown will step into the co-anchor seat next to Blitzer on “The Situation Room.”
Brown spoke to Cronkite students in attendance, following a special student discussion on Monday. She emphasized the importance of journalism today. Brown also reflected on Walter Cronkite’s legacy, highlighting the legendary news anchor’s commitment to truth and trust, and she said she saw the same qualities in Blitzer.
“Wolf considered Walter Cronkite a mentor, and I consider him a mentor,” Brown said. “Find a wise experienced mentor and learn from them.”
During his acceptance speech, Blitzer spoke about the changing journalism landscape and what the future could look like for Cronkite students entering the media industry.
“As journalists we face all sorts of new challenges, including the pressure of reporting in the current political environment,” Blitzer said. “All of us are looking to you to help preserve journalism and its integrity.”
Previous Cronkite Award recipients include broadcast journalists David Muir, Gayle King, Al Roker, Lester Holt, Robin Roberts, Anderson Cooper, Scott Pelley, Christiane Amanpour, Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill; sportscasters Al Michaels and Bob Costas; newspaper journalists Dean Baquet, Ben Bradlee, Helen Thomas and Bob Woodward; and media executives Katharine Graham, Al Neuharth and William Paley, among others.