Back on June 1, 1980, when CNN launched, Bernard Shaw was on air as the network’s very first chief anchor. He went on to cover many world events and major news stories including the 2000 Presidential election and the first Gulf War.

Shaw retired from journalism on February 28, 2001, but he has continued to be part of the CNN family beyond retirement.

Shaw died on Wednesday September 7, 2022. The cause of death was pneumonia unrelated to Covid-19. He was 82 years old.

CNN CEO Tom Johnson shared a statement from Shaw’s family. It explains, “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.”

Shaw’s funeral will be private too. Only family and invited guests will be able to attend, but there will be a public memorial service planned for a later date.

Johnson also shared his own sentiments about Shaw. He said, “As a journalist, he demanded accuracy and fairness in news coverage. He 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.” He also described Shaw as his “personal friend and colleague for more than 55 years.” He added, “I will miss him enormously.”

In a statement, CNN Chairman and CEO Chris Licht reflected on Shaw’s career and expressed sorrow at the news of his death. The statement reads, “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. 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. 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.”

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