Seeing the recent movie Good Night, and Good Luck sparked my curiosity about the legendary newsman Ed Murrow, so I’ve been reading a book by former NPR host Bob Edwards called Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism. It’s a short little volume, less an in-depth biography than a concise overview of Murrow’s life and philosophies. Sparse as it is, though, the book provides plenty to think about. Consider, for instance, the following passage:
As the new vice president and director of public affairs [at CBS following World War II], Ed… introduced several new programs. … As Others See Us was a review of foreign press coverage of the United States. CBS Views the Press… examined the performance of print journalism.
If you ever needed proof of how far things have fallen in this country, there it is. Can you imagine a TV program today that seriously and soberly considered what foreigners think of the US, whether it be pro or con? I suspect that if the show highlighted anything less than total support for US policy, Drudge, Coulter, O’Reilly, and Hannity would shout it off the air, denouncing it as unpatriotic and possibly even treasonous. Many hateful and tasteless jokes would be made at the expense of the French. As for examining the performance of print journalism — or any other variety of journalism — the best anyone seems able to do today is make a blanket statement of partisan bias. Never mind that the real problem is not political, but rather corporate owners who only worry about profit points and keeping advertisers happy, as well as a relentless drive toward superficiality and sensationalism.
I doubt if Murrow, who died in 1965, would even recognize the media that he helped create…
I think public radio is the only broadcast medium that still does the kind of journalism Murrow is referring to. Not surprisingly, Bob Edwards recently retired from a long career at NPR. Troubling, however, that he was forced out over concerns that he was too old to relate to or attract younger listeners.
Yes, I remember hearing about Edwards’ “retirement.” An incredible miscalculation on the part of NPR management, as far as I’m concerned. I still miss the sound of his voice.
As for the accusation that he didn’t play well to younger listeners, could a bigger problem be the fact that young people, by and large, are not that interested in current events? I know I didn’t give much of a damn about what was going on until my late 20s…