In an age of fake news and “infotainment,” Edward R. Murrow’s life and work stand out as beacons of
integrity and professionalism. His radio reports from London during the Blitz brought the war into American
homes. He was the first reporter to reveal the horror
of the Nazi death camps. His ground-breaking
television program, See It Now, unearthed scandals and injustices in our own country, making him a hero
to many but an enemy to entrenched interests. In
March 1954, he became the first television journalist to
expose the dishonesty and destructiveness of Joe McCarthy, leading to the downfall of the junior
senator from Wisconsin.
Yet, despite his achievements, Murrow was ultimately forced off the air by an industry that had grown more interested in profits than in responsibility. Confidant of presidents, conscience of a nation, Murrow remained an enigma – idealistic, remote, creative, self-destructive. In his one-man show, Murrow, Joseph Vitale reveals the complexity and achievements of a man whose voice, intelligence and honesty inspired a nation. He also turns a mirror on a media that has fallen far from the standards that Murrow established for his profession.
"You burned the city of London in our
houses, and we felt the flames." -- Archibald MacLeish
