Edward R. Murrow

Edward R. Murrow (born April 25, 1908, Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.—died April 27, 1965, Pawling, New York) was a radio and television broadcaster who was the most influential and esteemed figure in American broadcast journalism during its formative years. Murrow was especially known for his 1954 exposé on Senator Joseph McCarthy, who made sensational but unproven charges of communist infiltration in the U.S. government. With this and other reporting, Murrow became known for his commitment to truth and objectivity.

Education and World War II

Murrow graduated from Washington State College (now University), Pullman. He served as president of the National Student Association (1929–31) and then worked to bring German scholars displaced by Nazism to the United States. He joined the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) in 1935 and was sent to London in 1937 to head the network’s European Bureau. Murrow’s highly reliable and dramatic eyewitness reportage of the German occupation of Austria and the Munich Conference in 1938, the German takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1939, and the Battle of Britain during World War II brought him national fame and marked radio journalism’s coming of age.

TV work and McCarthy exposé

After the war Murrow became CBS vice president in charge of news, education, and discussion programs. He returned to radio broadcasting in 1947 with a weeknight newscast. With Fred W. Friendly he produced Hear It Now, an authoritative hour-long weekly news digest, and moved on to television with a comparable series, See It Now. Murrow was a notable force for the free and uncensored dissemination of information during the American anticommunist hysteria of the early 1950s. In 1954 he produced a notable exposé of the dubious tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy, who had gained prominence with flamboyant charges of communist infiltration of U.S. government agencies. Murrow also produced Person to Person (1953–60) and other television programs.

Murrow was known for speaking truth to power, and he stressed the importance of journalistic integrity. Later in his career he found himself at odds with William Paley, the founding chairman of CBS. Paley became increasingly upset with Murrow’s coverage of controversial topics, which drew complaints from sponsors and high-powered individuals. In 1958 Paley canceled See It Now and contract negotiations with Murrow stalled. Adding to his career struggles was the growing prominence of other journalists, notably Walter Cronkite. In 1961 Murrow left CBS after Pres. John F. Kennedy appointed him director of the U.S. Information Agency (USIA), which oversaw Voice of America broadcasts, among other activities.

Death and legacy

During this time, Murrow began experiencing serious health issues. In 1963 he had a lung removed because of cancer. The following year he stepped down from the USIA. He died in 1965, days before his 57th birthday. In the ensuing decades, several awards were named in Murrow’s honor. In addition, Tufts University established (1965) the Edward R. Murrow Center for Global Diplomacy, and in 2008 Washington State University created the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

Murrow also inspired several movies. His confrontation with McCarthy was the basis for the 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck, which was directed and cowritten by George Clooney. In 2025 Clooney starred as Murrow in a Broadway adaptation of the film.