Pioneering journalist Bernard Shaw passes away

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Bernard Shaw, former CNN anchor and a pioneering Black journalist, has died. He was 82.

Bernard Shaw death details

He died of pneumonia, unrelated to COVID-19, on Wednesday at a hospital in Washington, his family announced.

Pioneering journalist

Born May 22, 1940 in Chicago, Shaw started his career in radio 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 moved onto CBS, working as a political reporter, where he covered the Watergate scandal.

He’d later become ABC’s Latin America correspondent, and then left to work for CNN.

Shaw 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 — including the student revolt in Tiananmen Square in May 1989, the First Gulf war live from Baghdad in 1991, and the 2000 presidential election.

Known for being cool under pressure, Shaw is often credited with raising CNN’s international prominence.

In a statement, former CNN CEO Tom Johnson said Shaw “exemplified excellence in his life” and will be “remembered as a fierce advocate of responsible journalism.”

“As a journalist, he demanded accuracy and fairness in news coverage. He earned the respect of millions of viewers around the world for his integrity and independence. He resisted forcefully any lowering of ethical news standards or any compromise of solid news coverage. He always could be trusted as a reporter and as an anchor,” Johnson said.

Bernard Shaw’s funeral

Funeral services for Shaw will be private for family and invited guests only, with a public memorial service planned at a later time, his family said.

The family requested donations to a scholarship fund in lieu of flowers.