Radio was king of electronic media at one time. It was a time before my time when, there was no TV. Journalism was good and, the discernment of journalism from sleaze was as clear as the difference between CBS’ Edward R. Murrow, and Walter Winchell. Winchell, the obvious sleaze.
TV was brought to the picture with, Murrow being an early anchor for CBS, and creating a stamp for the future. Murrow was all about news, and information. Rumor, innuendo, and fiction was not a good fit for Murrow. Any commentary he had to offer was clearly defined for all to know, and separated from the reporting of fact. His commentaries were well known as a basis for other CBS programming.
Winchell, on the other hand would ruin lives, and careers using rumor, and innuendo to be checked later. If wrong, it would be too late as, the damage would have been done. Winchell would move on.
Look what we have come to. From then, til now we have evolved to a politically manipulated media.
Murrow has been gone for a long time, and I fear that style of journalism will never return. I actually enjoyed watching the world’s events on TV when I was five years old. He was brilliant, using a descriptive vocabulary that brought a picture to radio, and ‘HD’ to TV before there was high definition technology. Murrow was like no other except maybe, Vin Scully putting voice to a picture of a Dodger baseball game on the radio.
Here we are in 2012, and we’ve gone backward to the low end. It’s all political, and otherwise sleaze.
Today’s modern day teacher is like a sly fox with a very clear agenda. The Grandmaster, and modern day Chief purveyor of poop is, Rupert Murdoch. A modern day pioneer of rumor, innuendo, fiction, and politically motivated journalism will die a rich man but also, a sleaze bucket. I would be remiss for not giving him credit for guiding News Corp. as a business.
I’m not even really including the politically driven news on FOX because now, it is an acceptable part of the media. He made no secret of his agenda. We seem to be willing to accept this as news, whether from the ‘right’ or, ‘left.’ Murdoch just happens to be coming from the ‘right,’ and gets a Doctorate for his ‘work.’
Murdoch’s other media, along with FOX manifested stories about people that may, or may not have been true. The truth was not his worry as with Winchell. It didn’t matter if he damaged people’s lives, ruined careers, and reputations. For this, a Doctorate is given as a ‘Purveyor of Poop.’ Murdoch will die with this legacy. Rich, cheap, and a sleaze bucket.
The only time Murdoch’s name could be mentioned in the same breath as Murrow, is to show the sharp contrast between Murrow’s impeccable journalism, and Murdoch’s bottom sleaze.
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Tags: dodger baseball, Edward R. Murrow, Journalism, Radio, Rupert Murdoch, Television, Vin Scully, Walter Winchell
