The document discusses Edward R. Murrow's decline in the late 1950s and early 1960s which included the loss of his Alcoa sponsorship, the cancellation of his show "See It Now", and the production of "Harvest of Shame". It also discusses his famous 1958 speech to the Radio Television News Directors Association where he warned about television being used just for profits. Murrow then took a sabbatical before being appointed by JFK to the United States Information Agency, and he later died of lung cancer in 1965.

1. Week 4
Historical Perspectives — Part 2

2. William S. Paley

3. Murrow’s Decline

4. Murrow’s Decline
• Loss of Alcoa sponsorship
• Loss of “See It Now”
• CBS Reports “Harvest of Shame”
• RTNDA 1958 Speech
• Sabbatical 1959-1960
• JFK appoints to USIA
• Dies lung cancer 1965

5. Murrow’s Decline
• Loss of Alcoa sponsorship
• Loss of “See It Now”
• CBS Reports “Harvest of Shame”
• RTNDA 1958 Speech
• Sabbatical 1959-1960
• JFK appoints to USIA
• Dies lung cancer 1965

6. “This instrument can teach, it can
illuminate, and yes it can inspire. But
it can do so only to the extent that
humans are determined to use it to
those ends. Otherwise it is nothing
but wires and lights in a box.”
RTNDA Convention, Chicago, October 15, 1958

7. Frank Stanton

8. Quiz Show Scandal 1956-57

9. Frank Stanton

10. Murrow’s Decline
• Loss of Alcoa sponsorship
• Loss of “See It Now”
• CBS Reports “Harvest of Shame”
• RTNDA 1958 Speech
• Sabbatical 1959-1960
• JFK appoints to USIA
• Dies lung cancer 1965

11. Murrow’s Decline
• Loss of Alcoa sponsorship
• Loss of “See It Now”
• CBS Reports “Harvest of Shame”
• RTNDA 1958 Speech
• Sabbatical 1959-1960
• JFK appoints to USIA
• Dies lung cancer 1965

15. Nixon’s war on the press
June 1970: Nixon authorizes
wiretaps and burglaries target
those who are political disloyal
After FBI refuses to participate,
President authorizes wiretaps
on 4 journalists and 13
government officials

16. Pentagon Papers
• MacNamara orders a history of
U.S. involvement in Indochina
• Leaked by Daniel Ellsberg
• Published in June 1971 by New
York Times
• Government sues for prior
restraint
• Other papers, including
Washington Post, also publish

19. Leaks & Dirty Tricks
• Pentagon Papers a turning point
• Nixon forms a surveillance team to plug leaks
on classified information
• “The Plumbers”
• “Enemies List”
• “Dirty tricks” campaign

20. Campaign against
journalists
Pat Buchanan suggests
deliberate campaign to attack
networks as small group of
liberal elites

21. Campaign against
journalists
• Speech given by Vice
President Spiro Agnew
• “Nattering nabobs of
negativism”
Spiro Agnew, the only vice president to resign
while under criminal investigation

22. Watergate Break-in
Watergate complex – Washington, D.C.
• June 17, 1972: Democratic
National Committee in the
Watergate complex
• Five “plumbers” planting
listening devices are caught by
Washington, D.C. police
• Operation financed by illegal
contributions to CREEP