Want to hear about a real scandal? Something truly newsworthy, as opposed to, say, editing a clip from a low-level government official talking about an event that happened long before she even worked for the government and touting it as evidence of widespread racism and corruption?
In 1976, a correspondent for CBS News who had been personally recruited by Edward R. Murrow received a file from a confidential source that detailed extensive illegal CIA and FBI activities. It was called the Pike Committee Report. When CBS reportedly refused to air the contents of the documents, the correspondent quietly leaked the file to the Village Voice, which then ran with the story. He was not only suspended by CBS for doing this; he was called before Congress and hectored to reveal his source -- which he refused to, asserting his First Amendment right as a member of the press.
He risked his career and his very freedom for something he believed in.
And in the end, he became known as one of journalism's elder statesmen because of the sort of courage and conviction it took to make that stand.
That man was Daniel Schorr -- who died this morning at the age of 93.
There are very few people in the news business who truly have earned the title of "legend." Daniel Schorr is unquestionably one of them.
So if you're out tonight, raise a glass to the man who read Nixon's now-infamous Enemies List live on network television -- only to find out that he was #17 on it.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thank You and Goodnight
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11 comments:
I'm ashamed to say I have barely heard of him. I was a young teen during Watergate, I mostly crushed on Daniel Inouye from Hawaii! I wish now I had paid more attention to the news as a kid. Vietnam was still going on, and I didn't really know that. I have a friend who was drafted into the Vietnam war, and was spat upon when he landed back on US soil. *raises glass*
Wow. This gave me chills.
This a real loss. He was a true journalist (and an original CNN reporter/producer, until he quit over editorial interference, ha!). I'll miss his commentaries on NPR. Would that we could see the like of him again. R.I.P., Mr. Schorr.
Daniel Schorr was a hero. He was still doing commentary for NPR as recently as just a couple weeks ago.
Oh my goodness, I loved listening to him on NPR! He always made so much sense. I can't believe he's gone ...
Thanks for the nice tribute. I'll really miss his thoughtful commentary. If I heard him in the car, I'd always turn up the volume. It was going to be the smartest thing I'd hear that day. I only began listening to NPR a few years ago; I'm glad Daniel Schorr kept working all this time so I could hear one of the greats.
It's pretty fucking deflating to read a fitting tribute to a man who truly understood what it meant to be a pillar of the Fourth Estate, only to scroll down and see Andrew Breitbart's mug.
The juxtaposition in your post order with Breitbart directly next to Schorr is a statement in itself.
Thank you. He was one of the last of a breed of journalists I regret we'll probably never be privileged to have among us again.
Here's to Mr. Schorr, wherever he is tonight....
"And in the end, he became known as one as one of journalism's elder statesmen because of the sort of courage and conviction it took to make that stand."
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It's so much fun playing copy editor here. Double typo!
● Duplicates of: as one
Those NPR ads about how you stay in the car when you get home to hear the end of their segment... that was me they were talking about, usually when listening to Daniel Schorr. We all will be doing well if we have half his smarts if we are lucky enough to make it to 93.
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