Bernard Shaw was an American journalist who was known as the lead news anchor for CNN from 1980 until his retirement in March 2001. Prior to his time at CNN, he was a reporter and anchor for WNUS, Westinghouse Broadcasting, CBS News, and ABC News. He spent four years in the Marine Corps, during which he was stationed in Hawaii when he sought out TV news legend Walter Cronkite for advice about how to become a journalist. He got his career start as a radio reporter in Chicago, during which he interviewed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who told him, “One day you’ll make it, just do some good,” Shaw recalled. He began his broadcasting career as an anchor and reporter for WNUS in Chicago in 1964. He was widely known for the question he posed to Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Michael Dukakis at his second Presidential debate with George H. W. Bush during the 1988 election, which Shaw was moderating. Shaw reflected over his 41 years in journalism, that what he missed in his personal life was not worth it. He appeared on the June 1, 2020, episode of CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront to recognize the 40th anniversary of the start of the network.
How did Bernard Shaw die?
Bernard Shaw died at a hospital in Washington, D.C., on September 7, 2022, at the age of 82, after contracting pneumonia (unrelated to Covid-19). He was CNN’s first chief anchor and was with the network when it launched on June 1, 1980. He retired from CNN after more than 20 years on February 28, 2001. During his storied career, Shaw reported on some of the biggest stories of that time – including the student revolt in Tiananmen Square in May 1989, the First Gulf war live from Baghdad in 1991, and the 2000 presidential election. Funeral services for Shaw will be closed to family and invited guests only, with a public memorial service planned at a later time, his family said. Shaw is survived by his wife Linda and their two children, Amar Edgar and Anil Louise.
Bernard Shaw Known For
- Being an American Journalist.
- For his reporting on the 1991 Gulf War.
- For contributing 41 years to a journalism career.
Where was Bernard Shaw From?
Bernard Shaw was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA on 22nd May 1940. He was born to Edgar Shaw, a railroad employee and house painter, and Camilla (Murphy) Shaw, a housekeeper. He was born into a Christian religious family. He held American nationality and his ethnicity was American-African. About his education, he attended the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1963 to 1968. He then served in the U.S. Marine Corps, including stints in Hawaii and at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina, where in 1962 he was a “Message Center” specialist, achieving the rank of Corporal, E-4. He exhibited a passionate interest in the print media, clipping articles from newspapers, and often traveled on weekends to Washington, D.C. He also cultivated an acquaintance with Walter Cronkite and had an interest in baseball. For the last time, he celebrated his 82nd birthday as of 2022.
Bernard Shaw Career Timeline
- In 1964, Bernard Shaw started his broadcasting career as an anchor and reporter for WNUS in Chicago.
- After that, he worked as a reporter for the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company in Chicago, moving later to Washington as the White House correspondent.
- Next, he worked as a correspondent in the Washington Bureau of CBS News from 1971 to 1977.
- He moved to ABC News as a Latin American correspondent and bureau chief in 1977 before becoming the Capitol Hill Senior Correspondent.
- He left ABC in 1980 to move to CNN as co-anchor of its PrimeNews broadcast.
- He then came to fame after his coverage of the 1981 assassination attempt on U.S. President Ronald Reagan and for the question, he posed to Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Michael Dukakis at his second Presidential debate with George H. W. Bush during the 1988 election, which Shaw was moderating.
- Reporting with CNN correspondents John Holliman and Peter Arnett from the Al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad, he found shelter under a desk as he reported cruise missiles flying past his window.
- Likewise, he moderated the October 2000 vice-presidential debate between Dick Cheney and Joe Lieberman.
- From 1992 until he retired from CNN in March 2001, he co-anchored CNN’s “Inside Politics”.
- After then, he started appearing on CNN, including in May 2005, when a plane flew into restricted air space in Washington, D.C.
- He co-anchored Judy Woodruff’s last broadcast on CNN in June 2005.
- He appeared on the June 1, 2020, episode of CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront to recognize the 40th anniversary of the start of the network.
Bernard Shaw Awards and Achievements
- 1994: Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.
- 1996: Paul White Award, Radio Television Digital News Association
- Bernard Shaw was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State’s highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2002 in the area of Communications.
Who was Bernard Shaw married to?
Bernard Shaw was a married man to his wife, Linda Allston from March 30, 1974, until his death. They had two children: Amar Edgar and Anil Louise. Before his death, the duo was living a happy life without any disturbances. His sexual orientaiton was straight.
How much was Bernard Shaw’s Net Worth?
Bernard Shaw was a renowned journalist who had made a decent fortune from his career work. The net worth of Bernard Shaw is estimated to have between in the range of $1 Million – $5 Million at the time of his death. His main source of wealth came from his journalism career. He was making his annual salary in thousands of dollars from his professional work. He was known for his reporting and anchoring for CNN, WNUS, Westinghouse Broadcasting, CBS News, and ABC News. He was living a cool lifestyle before his demise.
How tall was Bernard Shaw?
Bernard Shaw was a handsome journalist with a height of 5 feet 9 inches or 1.79 m or 179 cm. His bodyweight consisted of 85 KG. He had a pair of black eyes and his hair color was white. Sadly, he dies at 82 after contracting pneumonia.
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