Charles Bierbauer, a veteran journalist who spent two decades at CNN and later served as dean of the University of South Carolina’s journalism school, has died at 83.
Bierbauer passed away Friday at his home in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. His family’s obituary said “his generous heart gave out after a good, long life.”
Distinguished Journalism Career
Born in Pennsylvania, Bierbauer began his career as a weekend reporter at WKAP before joining the Associated Press in Pittsburgh. His reporting on the 1973 Yom Kippur War earned him an Overseas Press Club Award.
Over his career, he was detained in Moscow’s Red Square while filming an anti-Soviet protest and denounced by Soviet media for “asking impertinent questions” during Muhammad Ali’s 1978 trip to the USSR.
After four years at ABC News, Bierbauer joined CNN in 1981, just a year after the network’s launch. Over the next 20 years, he covered the Pentagon, the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court, presidential campaigns, and hosted Newsmaker Saturday for a decade. He frequently traveled with U.S. presidents both domestically and abroad.
Impact on Academia
Following his broadcast