On Wednesday, Arizona State University’s journalism school announced that NBC’s longtime Today show weatherman Al Roker would be receiving the 2021 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. As his fellow network morning show hosts gushed over the news, a look back at Roker’s career shows someone infatuated with Democrats and dedicated to radical climate change activism.
“Al Roker has long been a trusted and treasured voice in homes all across America. His integrity and commitment to honesty and fairness are the very values that guided the career of our school’s namesake, Walter Cronkite,” ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism Dean Battino L. Batts Jr. proudly proclaimed.
On Wednesday’s Today show, co-host Savannah Guthrie excitedly declared: “...we have an – just an amazing honor to tell you about. Al is getting the 2021 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.” Roker joked: “Well, they obviously ran out of everybody....I’m very honored and it pretty much says my career is just about over.”
Guthrie swooned: “We are so proud of you. Al, you’ve done such great reporting on the weather and on climate change and you’re so devoted to your craft.”
Later, on 3rd Hour Today, Roker confessed that he was surprised they selected him: “I just don’t really feel that worthy of it. I mean, I do this gig. I have a wonderful time doing it. I love doing it. But there are so many other journalists, like I’m married to one [ABC’s Deborah Roberts], that probably deserve it a lot more.”
Co-host Sheinelle Jones assured him that it was legitimate by referencing other liberal media figures who have won in years past: “Well, speaking of which, you’re in good company. You talk about journalists, you know, this award – Anderson Cooper, Diane Sawyer, our very own Lester Holt....they take it seriously.”
Actually, a serious examination of Roker’s “journalism” reveals him to be a groupie for Democrats like President Obama and President Biden, as well as a committed left-wing environmentalist who’s won repeated praise from chief climate crusader Al Gore.
During Obama’s second inauguration in 2013, Roker infamously screamed at the then-President like an adoring fan. A shameless display that he repeated eight years later, during Biden’s inauguration in January.
When it came to Biden, Roker made no secret of his celebrity crush on the then-Vice President during the Obama years, going so far as to urge the Democrat to co-host the Today show.
The NBC weatherman’s close friendship with the Obamas was also frequently on display. Like in 2014, when he gushed to his co-hosts that he attended Michelle Obama’s White House birthday party and “got to boogie with the First Lady!”
Roker’s love for left-wing Supreme Court justices has been well known. In 2018, he hailed: “I don’t think there isn’t a person out there who doesn’t love Ruth Bader Ginsburg!” In 2019, while having Justice Sonia Sotomayor on as a guest on 3rd Hour Today, he and his co-hosts actually brought out a custom cake to celebrate the liberal jurist’s 10th anniversary of being on the high court.
All of those examples don’t even touch Roker’s greatest passion – pushing for the radical climate change agenda of the left. In December of 2018, he preached that it was a “sin” to not fight climate change. As the coronavirus virus ravaged the globe and killed millions, in April of 2020, Roker found a “silver lining” in that carbon emissions were “way down.” For that kind of coverage, in June of 2020, Al Gore showed up on 3rd Hour Today and thanked Roker for his “consistent advocacy” on the issue.
Roker’s climate propaganda has only intensified. In February, he asked billionaire Bill Gates how Big Tech could shut down “climate deniers.” Just on Tuesday, he swooned over extreme climate activist Greta Thunberg as “the face of the climate movement.”
Sycophantic cheerleading for Democrats and evangelizing a far-left climate agenda are not examples of “excellence in journalism.” Such a portfolio displays someone devoted to a partisan political cause.
The celebration of Roker being rewarded for a career of activism was brought to viewers by Comcast and BMW. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here are transcripts of the October 13 coverage:
Today
8:31 AM ETSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Let’s get a check of the weather, but first, we have an – just an amazing honor to tell you about.
HODA KOTB: What?
GUTHRIE: Al is getting the 2021 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. [Cheers and applause]
KOTB: Al!
GUTHRIE: Al, congratulations.
KOTB: Oh, my God!
GUTHRIE: This is amazing.
AL ROKER: Well, they obviously ran out of everybody.
GUTHRIE: No, no.
KOTB: Come, Al, that’s amazing.
ROKER: Well, I was – I’m very honored and it pretty much says my career is just about over.
GUTHRIE: No.
CARSON DALY: When did you find out?
ROKER: Last week.
DALY: And what was your reaction when you?
ROKER: I really did think somebody was pranking me. Because this is just a very, very high honor and I – but I could not have done it without my family here. So I thank you.
DALY: I think you could have. I really do. [Laughter]
ROKER: I don’t think so. I don’t think so.
GUTHRIE: We are so proud of you. Al, you’ve done such great reporting on the weather and on climate change and you’re so devoted to your craft. And I’m so happy for you. We just found out, so we’re just – I feel like crying.
DALY: That’s awesome.
GUTHRIE: I’m proud of you.
ROKER: Thank you, guys, I really appreciate it.
DALY: Well deserved.
3rd Hour Today
9:50 AM ETSHEINELLE JONES: Welcome back, it’s time for Overheard on 3rd and we have to give a huge congratulations...
JACOB SOBEROFF: Huge.
JONES: ...to our friend Al Roker. The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism has announced they are honoring Al as the recipient of its 38th Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence, in recognition, obviously, of your exemplary career.
SOBEROFF: Amazing.
JONES: How does that feel?
AL ROKER: Very odd, I will say.
JONES: What?
ROKER: Well, because I’m going – and this isn’t any humility. I just don’t really feel that worthy of it. I mean, I do this gig. I have a wonderful time doing it. I love doing it. But there are so many other journalists, like I’m married to one, that probably deserve it a lot more.
JONES: Well, speaking of which, you’re in good company. You about journalists, you know, this award – Anderson Cooper, Diane Sawyer, our very own Lester Holt.
SOBEROFF: Lester, yeah.
ROKER: Yeah, yeah.
JONES: So, you know, they don’t – they take it seriously.
ROKER: Yeah, and it’s funny, I went to Arizona State University to speak at the school in 2013. We did a Today show from there. But never imagined that I’d be a recipient. But I want to thank them very much. And whoever they had planned who dropped out, I want to thank them, too.
JONES: Oh, please, it is well deserved.
SOBEROFF: I need to tell you something, every day I come in here, it is an honor and I get the chills to work with you. You’re a legend. And the idea that you have this is just the icing on top.
(...)
