NWPC: The Murrow Symposium

Edward R Morrow Symposium: Don Hewitt

“The Thirty-fourth Edward R Morrow Symposium at Washington State University honored Don Hewitt, creator of 60 minutes and the CBS news executive producer, with the 2008 Edward R Morrow Award-Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast Journalism.”

Hewitt gave a speech about his life, his accomplishments and what he saw as the failings of the news media to expose the lies of the Bush administration. He cited the media’s close relationship with powerful elites as one of the major problems in the news industry today. Hewitt’s sharp wit and charm made him seem larger than life. But when he was asked more contemporary questions about the future of media his age and lack of understanding showed. When asked his opinion, he admitted not knowing what a blog was or media consolidation. But that really doesn’t matter. He was one of the original framers of a new television medium and his risks and triumphs laid the groundwork for how television is used today. It is up to the Communication students packed in Beasley Coliseum to find the answers to what lay ahead in media. We can only hope that there is a young ambitious student in the audience that can rescue the news industry and realize the full potential of a new evolving medium just as Hewitt did in the late 1940’s.

Although the symposium was not technically part of the NWPC its focus on the future of media is an important topic to discuss. The symposium was a fascinating look at the life of a man that had worked in television for over 60 years and has been in the background of so much history.