Edward R. Murrow and Changing the Face of Communication Essay -- Journ

Since the beginning of broadcast journalism, there has been one person credited with revolutionizing the field. This was Edward R. Murrow, also known as Mr. Television. Murrow set the highest standard for the reporting of news on radio and television. He broadcast stories that other journalists of the time would not even touch for fear of blacklisting. His facts were solid, his scope thorough, his analysis on target, and his principles uncompromised (Edwards 7). He was also fearless when it came to challenging leaders who he felt were abusing their power, including Senator Joseph McCarthy. Murrow ushered in the modern age of reporting by basically creating the radio and television journalism medium and by openly using these mediums to challenge the views and principles of powerful politicians. Broadcast journalism is defined as, â€Å"a field of news and journals which are ‘broadcast’, that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters,† (â€Å"Broadcast Journalism†). Edward R. Murrow was one of the first true broadcast journalists. Although newspapers and journalists had been around for quite some time, radio and television were relatively new fields of technology, and a new way of presenting the news had to be adapted. Murrow’s first experience with broadcast journalism came to be when he started reporting from England during World War II. Although the radio was certainly not new when Murrow began reporting from it, it was the first time it was used as a substantial news source (Bernstein). Before this time, average citizens mainly tuned in to hear the headlines or to listen to nightly entertaining radio shows as it provided an escape from the bleakness of the Great Depressi.. . ...pr. 2012. . Cozma, Raluca. "From Murrow To Mediocrity?." Journalism Studies 11.5 (2010): 667-682. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. Edwards, Bob. Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2004. Print. "Journalism : Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. . Kendrick, Alexander. Prime Time: The Life of Edward R. Murrow. Boston: Little, Brown, 1969. Print. "The Watergate Story | The Post Investigates (washingtonpost.com)." Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. .