Edward R. Murrow

Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965) is considered one of the founders of broadcast journalism. The Museum of Broadcast Communications calls Murrow "the most distinguished and renowned figure in the history of American broadcast journalism," and a major force in the "creation and development of electronic newsgathering as both a craft and a profession."

Murrow's career began in the midst of the Great Depression and continued into the 1960s. His voice became well-known when he reported from Europe during World War II and it seemed he could do no wrong. A heavy smoker, Murrow became a major television presence for CBS where he regularly appeared on the air with a lit cigarette in hand.

But Murrow's role as a pioneer in television news had little to do with artifice. In the post-war years, Murrow and his producer Fred Friendly established broadcast news as a serious craft that could have a significant impact on politics and government. Most notably, Murrow found himself reporting at a time when U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy and other staunch anti-communists had begun questioning the loyalty of many Americans, especially those who worked in the entertainment industry. As the movie Good Night and Good Luck shows, Murrow is remembered as a trailblazer who prodded journalists to be better than they were.