Al Roker Recognized as First Weatherman to Receive Prestigious Cronkite Award
The Event: The Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism Luncheon
The Cause: The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University
Event Date: March 1, 2022
Location: Sheraton Phoenix Downtown
Honoree: Al Roker, NBC TODAY Weathercaster and Co-Host
Lead Sponsors: 12 News, ABC15 Arizona, Cox Communications, Deeann Griebel, Morgan Murphy Media/Elizabeth & Richard Burns, NBC News/TODAY and The Arizona Republic/azcentral
Notable Moments: Dean Battinto L. Batts, Jr. welcomed the sold-out crowd by recognizing the devastating situation in Ukraine and how it illustrates the importance of having a global viewpoint in journalism. Raven Payne, a Cronkite student had the honor of introducing Al Roker and Nancy A. Gonzales, Executive Vice President and University Provost presented the award.
Roker thanked the school for the honor and quipped, “I now know the moment when your career is about to decline,” to laughter and applause. He stated that Arizona is very special to him and his wife, Deborah Roberts, as he recalled how he nervously proposed to her on the edge of the Grand Canyon. Roker thanked many people from early in his career for giving him the opportunity to be on air, as he always had thought he would be behind the scenes, not having seen people of color on television news at the time.
Photos courtesy of Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
