'We Must Be Truthful'

 

“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; and to be credible we must be truthful.” – Edward R. Murrow

 

Today marks the anniversary of the death of Murrow in 1965, a leading light in the news business for 35 years.  Murrow, born April 25, 1908 in North Carolina was honored often for his journalistic excellence and integrity, including the Medal of Freedom in 1964.  He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II just weeks before his death (from lung cancer).

A radio war correspondent in World War II, he founded the CBS television news program See It Now, and his work behind the CBS news desk and as an interviewer influenced two generations of news anchors, beginning with Walter Cronkite and followed by Dan Rather and Peter Jennings.  Today, his name graces the Excellence in Reporting awards given annually in both the print and broadcast worlds.

The 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck, directed by George Clooney, focused on Murrow's efforts to end Senator Joseph McCarthy's reign of intimidation in the early 1950s and inspired yet another generation of those seeking to “do journalism right.”  The world of journalism was made better and brighter by the life of this great reporter.

 

 

Edward R. Murrow

 

 

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