Emily Leisten
Jour305- Section 2
Speech Story
“We now use media as fuel, not to illuminate the world, but to only focus on the accidents.” Ted Koppel spoke about the future, or perhaps lack thereof, in journalism and the new media of today in his keynote address “…and Murrow was worried back then!” Koppel also accepted the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award September 23 in Beasley Coliseum.
Lawrence Pintak, founding dean of the Communication College, opened the event. “Murrow’s integrity inspires Murrow students today,” Dean Pintak began. “In spirit of Murrow, we should honor Murrow.” The new 2011 Murrow Award of Murrow was also unveiled, revealing Murrow at his CBS desk.
After the posting of the colors by the Washington State University ROTC and a video tribute to the Murrow tradition, WSU President Elson S. Floyd took the stage. “You represent the assets of WSU, and for that I’m thankful,” Floyd began.
New forms of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, and their impact on journalism today was the theme of the Symposium. Floyd continued to say that “journalism has changed in many ways due to the internet. However, we must embrace this new frontier. You will serve as the true visionaries of journalism.”
A video tribute for Ted Koppel followed Floyd’s speech and following the Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast Journalism was awarded to Koppel. “I wonder how many other people couldn’t come,” Koppel laughed. “But I am delighted I could I could make it.”
Koppel began his keynote address “…and Murrow was worried back then!” by stating that he never wanted to be anything other than Murrow. He would hide under his father’s desk during the bombing of Britain by Germany and listen to Murrow on the radio. “Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me,” Koppel said, “but I swear I remember Murrow because his broadcast were replayed during the Blitz in London for morale.”
The times have changed since the dawning of the 21st century, including the media and the face of journalism. “Murrow was one of a kind, but even today he wouldn’t be the same Murrow,” Koppel said.
Koppel said that with the media as accessible as ever before, the capacity to communicate rests in the hands of everyone, not just journalists. The media now just provides static, meaningless messages and the real challenge is to find the “jewels in the noise.” Koppel continued, “Pandora’s Box is now wide open, never to be closed again.
“There is nothing new about bad journalism; there’s just more of it now,” Koppel explained. “We can’t forget our responsibility as messengers. We make it too easy to blame the message on the medium. What should have evolved into the best journalism we’ve seen, hasn’t. Why not?”
Koppel continued to say that good journalism should “comfort the conflicted and conflict the comfortable. But instead we make a virtue of our biases.” The public doesn’t want to hears news, but instead wants to tune into “news you can choose.”
“We believe we are communicating when we’re really exchanging the trivial,” Koppel stated. “I feel as if this is a missed opportunity. Our messages are more important than the media used to convey them.”
Patrick McLaughlin, a Broadcast News and Production major in the Murrow College, agreed with Koppel. “There is a lot of potential for journalism with the new media, but the medium is getting flooded. We can now reach global audiences, but now we have to be more careful with what we say.”
McLaughlin also liked Koppel’s advice for future journalists. “Obviously you’re not going to be rich right away, but if you have the right mindset you really can do it.”
After his speech, Koppel took a few questions from the audience, one asking how can someone teach integrity in journalism when integrity in journalism is fading? Koppel responded, “You can say what integrity is and ask others to displace it, but I don’t know if you can teach it. But I do know that courage stems from the ability of people keep on keeping on when their integrity is challenged.”
Koppel is the 22nd person to receive the Edward R. Murrow Award. Fellow recipients include Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings, and Tom Brokaw.
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