CNN’s first lead host, Bernard Shaw, who died Thursday of pneumonia at the age of 82, said in a late life interview that he didn’t think his career was “worth it” because it kept him away from his family.
Shaw became the main anchor of the major news network in 1980 when it launched in Atlanta, and over the next two decades built an award-winning career in broadcast journalism that saw him travel the globe on politics and conflict.
The award-winning journalist retired from CNN in 2001 at the relatively young age of 61, appearing sporadically until 2005.
In a 2014 interview with NPRadmitted he regretted missing time with his wife, Linda, and two children, saying, “I don’t think it was worth it.”
Shaw last appeared on CNN in 2020 to reflect on the news network’s 40th anniversary.
Bernard Shaw, CNN’s first main anchor, died Thursday at 82
Shaw became known as one of the “Boys of Baghdad,” a group of reporters who documented the start of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 from an Iraqi hotel room.
Shaw in 2001 (the year he officially retired) in CNN’s DC office
A particularly memorable career moment for Shaw came during the 1988 presidential campaign cycle, when he presided over a debate between George HW Bush and Michael Dukakis.
Shaw asked then-Governor. Dukakis asked whether he would change his stance on the death penalty if his wife Kitty were “raped and murdered.”
Dukakis’ clever but emotionless response helped stop his campaign and establish Shaw’s reputation for asking tough questions.
Shaw famously covered the start of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 from a hotel room in Iraq when the fighting started, making him a member of the group known as “The Baghdad Boys.”
He also broadcast live from Tiananmen Square in China in May 1989, days before the massacre that followed the student protests.
Over the course of his career, he became a trusted anchor able to convey an important story with gravitas and an air of calm.
Newly appointed CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht said of the late reporter, “Bernie was a CNN original and was our Washington Anchor when we launched on June 1, 1980.”
“Even after he left CNN, Bernie remained a close member of our CNN family, providing our viewers with context on historical events last year,” he added.
In 1999, Shaw was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. He retired from CNN in 2001.
Shaw moderates the 2000 Vice Presidential debate between Dick Cheney and Senator Joe Lieberan
Shaw regularly stopped by his old network to provide insight into various matters, including from 2020-2021 as protesters stormed the nation on behalf of various causes
CNN’s new chairman and CEO Chris Licht expressed his condolences on Shaw’s passing and spoke about his contributions to the network over the years.
His family announced his death on Thursday, which was handed over to Tom Johnson, the former CEO of CNN.
“In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to the University of Chicago’s Bernard Shaw Scholarship Fund. The Shaw family requests complete privacy at this time,” the statement said.
Johnson said: “As a journalist, he demanded accuracy and fairness in reporting. He earned the respect of millions of viewers around the world for his integrity and independence. He vigorously opposed any lowering of ethical news standards or any compromise of solid reporting. He could always be trusted as a reporter and as an anchor.’
Shaw was born in Chicago in 1940 to a railroad worker and housekeeper. He grew up with a love of reading and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
He served in the US Marine Corps from 1959 to 1963.
He leaves behind his wife Linda and the couple’s two children.
Shaw reports from Tiananmen Square, China in May 1989 during the student protests that eventually culminated in the June 4 massacre
Shaw became known as a presenter who would ask politicians difficult questions and was able to deliver important news in a calm manner
Shaw began his career at CNN as a chief correspondent in Washington