Shaw, Bernard
1940-2022 · Contribution: 1980-2001
Broadcast journalist; anchor
Served as CNN’s first chief anchor from the network’s 1980 launch until his 2001 retirement, becoming, alongside correspondents Peter Arnett and John Holliman, one of the “Boys of Baghdad” whose live 1991 Gulf War broadcasts helped establish CNN as a credible major news outlet

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Quick facts
- Born
- 1940, Chicago, Illinois
- Active since
- 1980
- Category
- Press & Photography
- Best known for
- CNN's first chief anchor and one of the 'Boys of Baghdad'
Impact on the world
Shaw's steady judgment helped establish round-the-clock cable news as a credible, permanent fixture of American media, and his Gulf War broadcasts became a defining moment in television history.
Sources
- CNN
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