 Edward R. Murrow '30 in London, 1940. Photo
courtesy WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special
Collections.
In recent months the government has been accused of placing
propagandists in the chairs of journalists and issuing reports as
objective, when they were actually part of partisan politics.
Moreover, the parade of programs posing as news, with special
angles, promotional self-interests, and downright political
stances, makes one question the existence of journalistic
objectivity and integrity.
In an effort to make things right, the Federal Communications
Commission has recently called on television to clearly disclose
the origin of video news releases (VNR) used in their programs.
Also, a proposed bill in the U.S. Senate would require that "VNR's
produced, distributed or otherwise paid for by the federal
government clearly identify the federal government as the source of
such material."
Many local newscasts run stories astutely packaged by public
relations firms or special interests vying to get their products or
ideas before the public. The news story on the features of that new
auto, the menus of that new fast food chain, the achievements of
that new medical center's experiments, or the virtues of a
political stance are not really dug up by news journalists, but by
PR practitioners. Now politics have entered this game.
Journalists have always been wary of pre-packaged news stories,
traditionally in the form of news releases. Yet tradition seems to
be changing. What's more, the current parade of media pundits and
talk show hosts has given the public a negative perspective on the
press. Is there a higher journalistic standard than this current
cacophony?
It's an issue that warrants some recollection of the
journalistic values forged by Edward R. Murrow '30.
The McCarthy Issue—1954
It was March 8, 1954, in one of the meeting rooms of CBS. Edward
R. Murrow and producer Fred Friendly had been working on a
documentary about Joseph McCarthy, the junior U.S. senator from
Wisconsin who had taken upon himself the investigation of
communists in government. McCarthy had made allegations of
treachery and spying, disloyalty and subversion, eventually
suggesting that even President Dwight Eisenhower might be soft on
communism. Many government workers, mostly innocent bureaucrats,
had their careers, if not lives, ruined by McCarthy's
allegations.
Most of the press were shy about countering McCarthy for fear of
having their own reputations attacked. But now McCarthy's
demagoguery was to be challenged on network television by Murrow on
his program See It Now.
The production team was somber as it considered the impact of
the program. Friendly spoke: "We're going up against McCarthy, and
we have to be sure we don't have an Achilles heel as a way for
McCarthy to get back at us. Any weakness in any of us would be used
against Ed. If any of you might be that vulnerable part, let him
speak now or forever hold his peace."
Some spoke of friends or ex-spouses who had once associated with
communists. But then Murrow concluded, "The terror is right here in
this room. We go tomorrow night."
Reputations were at stake. Being branded a communist sympathizer
could be the professional undoing of a journalist. Murrow knew he
could lose his reputation as a trusted voice on radio and
television.
On one occasion film producer Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. told Murrow
that it took courage to stand up to McCarthy. "Let's face it," Ed
said, "McCarthy can't hurt me except economically. I was born with
an outside toilet, and I can go out the same way."
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