Rachel Maddow
John Steinbeck’s Son: Rachel Maddow the New Walter Cronkite
(Editor’s Note: Learn more and purchase tickets for the Feb. 25 event at SJSU through the The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies.)
Posted by the Huffington Post Feb. 6, 2012.
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow was announced the winner of the prestigious John Steinbeck Award on Monday. In addition to being honored with the award, Maddow was also the recipient of a major compliment from Thomas Steinbeck, John Steinbeck’s son.
Speaking of Maddow, Steinbeck was quoted in the official release as likening Maddow to the great Walter Cronkite. He said, “My father would have adored Rachel Maddow…Listening to Rachel Maddow is like listening to Walter Cronkite. We have that kind of trust in her…I hope she’s in it for the long haul, because we really need her.”
The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies is part of San Jose State University. According to the Center’s website, the award is “given to writers and artists whose work captures the spirit of Steinbeck’s empathy, commitment to democratic values, and beliefs in the dignity of people who by circumstance are pushed to the fringes.”
Previous award recipients include Bruce Springsteen, Arthur Miller, Joan Baez, Sean Penn, and Michael Moore.
This is not the first time Maddow’s name has been associated with legendary broadcaster. Maddow was awarded the The Interfaith Alliance’s Walter Cronkite Faith and Freedom award in August 2010.