Industry Leaders

Audio from Wires and Lights in a Box: Murrow's Legacy and the Future of Electronic News

From left to right: Tom Bettag, Casey Murrow, Bob Edwards, Philip Seib, Bill Small and Nick Clooney.

"Edward R. Murrow had every kind of courage," said satellite radio host Bob Edwards as he opened a roundtable discussion that kicked off the RTNDF News Leadership Summit, "Wires and Lights in a Box: Murrow's Legacy and the Future of Electronic News," June 2. Roundtable participants ranged from biographers of the broadcasting pioneer to the RTNDA member who introduced Murrow at the organization's convention in Chicago 50 years ago. The three-day conference, supported by the McCormick Foundation and held in suburban Chicago, tackled the issue of how the broadcast industry can be successful in the 21st century while remaining true to the principles Murrow espoused in his 1958 speech. At that time, Murrow challenged his audience to fulfill the promise of the broadcasting medium to serve the public good. Kickoff panelists included: Tom Bettag, executive producer, the Koppel Group, Discovery Networks; Nicholas Clooney, former reporter, editor and news director; Casey Murrow, director of Synergy Learning and son of Edward R. Murrow; Philip Seib, JD, professor of journalism and public diplomacy at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School; William Small, former news reporter and news executive, who chaired the 1958 RTNDA convention at which Murrow gave his speech.

RTNDF’s Wires and Lights in a Box: Murrow’s Legacy and the Future of Electronic News Summit brought together leaders in the industry, from managers responsible for the bottom line to journalists on the front line. The mission was to address with candor the realities and future of broadcast journalism.  Click here to read the feature article about the summit. Read Person to Person by Ellen Hunt in which she writes about a three day summit on Edward R. Murrow sponsored by the McCormick Foundation, featured in the September/October 2008 issue of Communicator. Hear clips from this three day summit by clicking here, and view video and photos here.

Hear It Now: Wires and Lights in a Box: Murrow's Legacy and the Future of Electronic News

Click below to hear clips of various discussions from the Wires and Lights in a Box: Murrow's Legacy and the Future of Electronic News summit that took place in at the Cantigny Estate outside Chicago, June 2-4, 2008. The panel was moderated Bob Edwards, host, XM Satellite Radio, Washington.

Speakers on the panel include:

• Tom Bettag, executive producer, The Koppel Group, Discovery Networks, Silver Spring, MD
• Nicholas Clooney, former award-winning reporter, anchor, managing editor and news director in Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, Buffalo and Los Angeles.
• Casey Murrow, co-director of Synergy Learning, editor of CONNECT and son of Edward R. Murrow
• Philip Seib, JD, professor of journalism and public diplomacy, University of Southern California, USC Center on Public Diplomacy, USC Annenberg School
• Bill Small served at CBS News for 17 years beginning in 1962 as chief of Washington bureau; senior vice president, director of news, and vice president, Washington, CBS, Inc. Became president of NBC News in 1979. RTNDA Program Chair for the Convention when Murrow gave the "wires and lights in a box" speech.

Host at XM Satellite Radio Bob Edwards moderated the panel that spoke about Murrow's legacy

Former Washington bureau chief of CBS news and former president of NBC News Bill Small was the RTNDA Program Chair for the Convention when Murrow gave the "wires and lights in a box" speech. Hear him speak of the history of the famous speech and the reactions that came as a result.

The panel discusses the role of sponsorship in the news and how funding plays a part in the topics covered.

Edwards and the panel discuss the integrity of reporters. Small recalls when Murrow and Roosevelt first heard of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the events that unfolded.

The panel delves into the expectation of television news and how it has shifted throughout the years.

Dissecting parts of Murrow's speech, the panel talks about the subject behind Murrow's "mortal danger" warning: was it news? the state of the world? or the sinister atomic age?