'Good Night and Good Luck'

    Edward R. Murrow, a trusted mid-twentieth century journalist , typically ended his broadcasts with "Goodnight and Good Luck."  Currently a drama using that tag line dominates Broadway and was recently televised live.   So, what was there about this newsman that resonates many decades later ?

       As an undergrad in the late 1950's, I played his 78 rpm vinyl, "I Can Hear it Now",  so many times that  I almost had it memorized.  The actual voices and sounds of many historical  persons and events captivated me.  Murrow had earlier gained renown with his live broadcasts from London during the German bombing blitz.  (Both that recording and excerpts of  the London broadcasts are available onYouTube.)After the war, he became the 'face' of CBS  news, first on radio and ultimately on television.

    In that latter position, he helped end one of our country's darkest eras. Joe McCarthy, Wisconsin's Junior Senator, sowed fear and ended many careers with his "Communist Witch Hunt".  Murrow was one of few who dared confront McCarthy's lies and intimidations. Several of  these broadcasts are also  readily available on YouTube by simply searching his name. President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, calling him a "gallant fighter" in the search for truth as a newsman and public official.  According to one website , "Murrow was especially known for his1954 expose 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."

     Speaking truth to power requires courage and integrity, especially when fear is rampant and distortions and lies abound. Some Murrow quotes that continue to have relevance:

  ."We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty."

  ."We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home."

   ."A nation of sheep will begat a government of wolves."

   ."I simply cannot accept that there are on every story two equal and logical sides to an argument."

    ."We will not walk in fear."

             Satchel