The veteran broadcast television journalist served as CNN's first chief anchor, gaining the trust of millions of viewers across the country.
Bernard Shaw, the award-winning broadcast television journalist who served as CNN’s chief anchor for two decades, died on Wednesday, the network’s president said in a statement.
He was 82.
When CNN launched on June 1, 1980, Shaw was its first chief anchor, instantly setting a standard of consummate professionalism and quickly earning the trust of millions of viewers.
Shaw’s family said in a statement to CNN that funeral services will be held for family members and guests, with a public memorial service planned later.
“The Shaw family requests complete privacy at this time,” they said.
Chris Licht, the chairman and CEO of CNN, expressed his condolences to Shaw’s wife Linda and their children, writing in a statement: “Bernie was a CNN original.”
“Even after he left CNN, Bernie remained a close member of our CNN family, providing our viewers with context about historical events as recently as last year,” Licht said.
Shaw covered some of the most important stories of the last three decades, including the 1989 Tiananmen Square student uprising, the 1994 California earthquake, Princess Diana’s death in 1997, and the 2000 presidential election.
According to a biography on CNN’s website, he was dubbed one of the “Boys of Baghdad,” a group of reporters who chronicled the start of the Persian Gulf War beginning Jan. 16, 1991, from a hotel room in Iraq alongside colleagues Peter Arnett and John Holliman.
He was well-known for his ability to deliver important news stories with calm authority and gravitas. Current and former CNN personalities paid tribute to him on social media Thursday, calling him a trailblazer and an inspiration to other journalists.
