'Good writing comes from good reading'

 “I believe that writing is derivative. I think good writing comes from good reading.” –  Charles Kuralt

Kuralt was one of those journalists who could find the “hidden gem” stories.  He was a master at sharing life from America’s backroads through his in-depth and heartfelt reporting.  Widely known for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, he later became the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning. 

Born in September of 1934 in Wilmington, NC, he said he couldn’t remember a time when he didn't want to be a reporter. “I don't know where I got the idea that it was a romantic calling, but I thought it was,” he said.    “Kids are always asked, ‘What are you going to be when you grow up?’ I needed an answer. So instead of saying, a fireman, or a policeman, I said, a reporter.”

He started his career as a radio announcer at age 14, edited the college newspaper at the University of North Carolina, and started as a reporter for the Charlotte News after graduation.  After moving to CBS as a writer, he became well known as the host of the Eyewitness to History series, traveling around the world for the network.    His eye for historical stories led to a series during America’s Bicentennial that won him a Peabody Award for reporting.  He earned 3 Peabodys, including one for “On The Road,” for which he also won multiple Emmys.

“I think all those people I did stories about ‘On The Road’ measured their own success by the joy their work was giving them,” he said.                          

 

 “The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines.”

 

 

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