Almanac of Story Tellers: Edward R. Murrow

Every day brings a new story.  And each day contributes to the art of story telling -- in prose and poetry, in music, on the stage, on the screen, and, of course, in books. 

Today is the story of April 25th

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    It is the 115th day of the year, leaving 250 days remaining in 2022.

    On this date in 1908, the pioneering radio and television journalist, Edward R. Murrow, was born in Greensboro, N.C.

    In the beginning, Murrow was the voice of radio journalism on CBS News, particularly as it related to telling the stories of World War II. His live reports, with dramatic eyewitness accounts, gave Murrow and radio news credibility during its early day.

    Later, in fits and starts, often against his will, he became the voice and face of television journalism, reporting and hosting such shows as See It Now, a magazine/documentary program that covered controversial topics, and Person to Person, an interview show.

    Today, he is mostly remembered for his part in exposing the lies and unsavory tactics of Sen. Joe McCarthy and his witch hunts for supposed communists during the Red Scare of the 1950s. After Murrow broadcasted a program on McCarthy, the senator responded, and Murrow responded with his own editorial statement.

    Since he made no reference to any statements of fact that we made, we must concluded that he found no errors of fact. He proved once again that anyone who exposes him, anyone who does not share his hysterical disregard for decency and human dignity and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, must be either a communist or a fellow traveler.

    After Murrow resigned from CBS News in 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed him to head the U.S. Information Agency, hoping Murrow's dignity and credibility would follow him to the agency.

    During his career, Murrow won several Peabody Awards, and George Polk Awards, along with other radio and TV reporting awards. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. The Radio Television Digital News Association annually gives out the Edward R. Murrow Award for "outstanding achievement in electronic journalism."

    Murrow died in 1965 in Pawling, N.Y.