(Pictured above: Edward R. Murrow looking like a prohibition-era mobster. Very dashing.)

In a historical context, I doubt you could find a person who takes issue with Edward R. Murrow. Born on April 25,1908 in North Carolina, his family was working-class poor, a factor which likely influenced much of Murrow’s sympathy towards similar working-class families (Edward R. Murrow 1965). His family was forced to move to Washington state for health reasons, and Murrow settled into the agricultural community, working for neighbors and nearby farms as a young man to earn money (Edward R. Murrow 1965).

Murrow attended Washington State University where he studied political science, speech, and international relations (Edward R. Murrow 1965). Murrow was hired by CBS in 1935, five years after graduating from school. Two years later, he moved to London to become the head of CBS operations in Europe (Edward R. Murrow 1965).

Then, during the 1938 invasion of Austria by Germany, Murrow did something no one really expected him to do. He got on a plane, headed to Vienna, Austria, and started reporting on the conflict. Almost by accident, Murrow became the voice of American journalism in World War II (Edward R. Murrow 1965).

Following the war, Murrow enjoyed his celebrity status as a nationally recognized war reporter, which opened some doors for him in terms of broadcasting opportunities.

In 1951, the new series See It Now debuted, and ran until it was cancelled in 1958. The show is best remembered as the platform from which Murrow literally battled McCarthyism into submission (Edward R. Murrow 1965). In 1953 Murrow ran a story on Milo John Radulovich, an Air Force reserve lieutenant who was accused of being a security risk because of his continued relationship with his father and sister. In a reasoned tone, and with logic and facts on his side, Murrow showed the country how out of control McCarthyist hysteria was (American Rhetoric 2017).

A year later, Murrow took McCarthy on directly in an episode of See It Now. Using McCarthy’s own words, Murrow showed the whole nation what an absolute prick McCarthy was (American Rhetoric 2017). Then, being the canny gentleman that he was, he offered McCarthy a chance to come on his show and defend himself.

McCarthy took the bait, making claims during the broadcast like, “Ordinarily, I would not take time out from the important work at hand to answer Murrow. However, in this case I feel justified in doing so because Murrow is a symbol, a leader, and the cleverest of the jackal pack which is always found at the throat of anyone who dares to expose individual Communists and traitors (American Rhetoric 2017).” Such statements about a man who was still seen by many as an American hero further stacked public opinion against senator McCarthy until he was rendered essentially powerless by virtue of his on vitriol.

Having such an impressive resume would probably have made Murrow a likely candidate for my blog in the first place, but what made him a shoo-in was the manner in which he handled McCarthy and his witch hunts. He stood up to a man who had ruined innumerable lives and careers with unsubstantiated claims and fear mongering. For that reason, Edward R. Murrow is my Wildcard.

“American Rhetoric: Joseph Mccarthy – Prosecution Of Edward R. Murrow On CBS Television’s See It Now”. 2017. Americanrhetoric.Com.

“Edward R. Murrow, Broadcaster And Ex-Chief Of U.S.I.A., Dies”. 1965. Nytimes.Com. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0425.html?mcubz=2