Bernard Shaw, First Chief CNN Anchor, Dead at 82

By Allison Schonter

Bernard Shaw, the award-winning broadcast television journalist who was CNN's first chief anchor, has died. Shaw passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 7 after he contracted pneumonia that was not related to COVID-19, his family confirmed, per CNN. Shaw was 82.

Former CNN CEO Tom Johnson said Shaw "exemplified excellence in his life" and will be "remembered as a fierce advocate of responsible journalism." He added that "as a journalist, he demanded accuracy and fairness in news coverage" and "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."

Shaw was CNN's first chief anchor when the 24/7 cable news channel launched on June 1, 1980. Throughout his storied decades-long career, he covered some of the biggest stories at the time, including the student uprising in Tiananmen Square in 1989, the 1994 California earthquake, the death of Princess Diana in 1997, and the 2000 presidential race. He also reported live from Baghdad in 1991 during the First Gulf war and was dubbed one of the "Boys of Baghdad" for his coverage, per his CNN biography. Shaw retired from CNN in February 2001 after more than 20 years, with Chris Licht, CNN Chairman and CEO, sharing in a statement, "Even after he left CNN, Bernie remained a close member of our CNN family providing our viewers with context about historic events as recently as last year. The condolences of all of us at CNN go out to his wife Linda and his children."

"CNN's beloved anchor and colleague, Bernard Shaw, passed away yesterday at the age of 82. Bernie was a CNN original and was our Washington Anchor when we launched on June 1st, 1980," Licht's statement added. "He was our lead anchor for the next twenty years from anchoring coverage of presidential elections to his iconic coverage of the First Gulf War live from Baghdad in 1991."

Shaw's decades-long career earned him a number of accolades. In 1999, he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. In 2001, he received a lifetime achievement honor from the Edward R. Murrow Awards. That was followed in 2007 by a second lifetime achievement award, this time from the National Association of Black Journalists.

A funeral service for Shaw will be held for family members and invited guests, with a public memorial service planned at a later date. The legendary journalist's family, in a statement provided by Johnson, said that "in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Bernard Shaw Scholarship Fund at the University of Chicago. The Shaw family requests complete privacy at this time."

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