The Voice of Reason: Eric Sevareid's CBS Commentaries

Eric Sevareid, one of the original Murrow boys, was a highly influential CBS correspondent and best known for his provocative television commentaries which he delivered almost every night on the Evening News with Walter Cronkite. From 1963 until his retirement in 1977, Sevareid's commentaries reflected elegant language in an eloquent style and offered serious thoughts that entered the homes of many Americans, giving them the opportunity to weigh his words and thoughts and make up their own minds on important issues facing the nation. During this turbulent period in American history, Sevareid offered commentaries on the civil rights movement, the Vietnam war, the presidency of Richard Nixon and Watergate and the important role of mass media in a democratic society. Easily one of the most influential television journalists, Sevareid understood very well that his role as a commentator was not to advocate, but simply to inform and enlighten. His goal was not to persuade his viewers to adopt a particular viewpoint, but to tell them what he had learned in a lifetime of reporting. His professional perspective should serve as an instructive model for the new generation of broadcast journalists. This book examines Sevareid's commentaries and offers an historical perspective on the tumultuous events which prompted them.