Montage: Castro Dies, the American Media Mourns

Few are taking the death of Cuba’s longtime autocrat Fidel Castro harder than members of America's media elite. Just as soon as Raul Castro announced his brother’s death Friday, the network news has become awash in praise for the anti-American strongman. 

Their praise centers mostly around Castro's interventions in health care and education.

CNN's Martin Savidge, for instance, praised Castro's "positives" such as "education and health care for all." 

"If you were from the middle down in Cuban society in the hierarchy, and you've got free medicine that you didn't have under the dictator Batista," Fox News's Geraldo Rivera said. "If you've got some, if you could start a little business, if you could get access to higher education that you couldn't get unless you were an elite under Batista the dictator that preceded Communism and Castro and led to the revolution, you know you think of Castro in a whole different way."

"I think that the Cubans have a tremendous sense of pride over his legacy, and I think that he will be remembered fondly.," Rivera predicted. 

The New York Times writer Helene Cooper, appearing on "Meet the Press," praised Castro for his opposition to apartheid. 

ABC's Jim Avila boldly declared that Castro "even to this day, the George Washington of his country among those who remain in Cuba."

MSNBC's Chris Matthews, reminiscing about watching Castro as a college student, admitted he viewed El Comandante "almost like a folk hero." 

Watch a full highlight reel above.