Howard K. Smith: An Anchorman For Our Time

About this episode

This episode explores the impact of Howard K. Smith in the context of post-war American journalism and his rivalry with Walter Cronkite.

The post-war era found most Americans turning to the famously well-trusted "Uncle" Walter Cronkite on CBS for their eyes on the world, while the gloriously opinionated Howard K. Smith, his ratings rival, was Edward R. Murrow's truer heir, and progenitor of today's primetime news anchors.

People in this episode

Host: Ray Agostinelli

Topics covered

• news history
• media evolution
• journalism
• post-war America
• broadcasting

Keywords

• Howard K. Smith
• Walter Cronkite
• Edward R. Murrow
• news anchors
• journalism history

More episodes of The Runners Up Club

• Alfred Russel Wallace: The Spiritual Evolutionist · February 28, 2026 · 19 min
• Greg Norman: Prophecies Fulfilled · October 12, 2025 · 17 min
• Catherine Littlefield Greene: The Heart of the Gin · August 31, 2025 · 14 min
• Beech-Nut Baby Food: Bad Apples Spoil the Barrel · June 15, 2025 · 14 min
• Minerva: The Handcuff Queen · April 5, 2025 · 12 min
• Antoine Bechamp: The First Anti-Vaxxer? · March 22, 2025 · 15 min