Bernard Shaw, CNN's first chief anchor and a pioneer in breaking news coverage for more than two decades, has died. He was 82.
Shaw died of pneumonia unconnected to Covid-19 on Wednesday, his family said in a statement to the network.
When he was anchoring coverage of President Ronald Reagan's assassination attempt in 1981, a breaking news event that established CNN as a trusted platform to turn to in times of national crisis.
By 1988, Shaw was moderating a presidential debate, but he sparked controversy when he asked Democratic contender Michael Dukakis a hypothetical question about his wife's rape and death.
Shaw's funeral will be limited to family and invited visitors, with a public memorial ceremony scheduled for a later date, according to his family.
According to a statement released by former CNN CEO Tom Johnson, the family asked donations to a scholarship fund in lieu of flowers.