Industry Leaders

Wires and Lights in a Box: Murrow's Legacy and the Future of Electronic News

The Radio and Television News Directors Foundation hosted the Wires and Lights in a Box: Murrow's Legacy and the Future of Electronic News summit sponsored by the McCormick Foundation June 24, 2008. The summit honored the 50th anniversary of legendary broadcaster Edward R. Murrow's famous "wires and lights in a box" speech given in Chicago at the 1958 RTNDA Dinner. The participants gathered at Cantigny, the estate of Chicago Tribune publisher Col. Robert McCormick, in Wheaton, IL, near Chicago to address the state of the industry and its public service obligations. Television, radio, digital and print journalists all shared their opinions on the future of news.

RTNDF’s Wires and Lights in a Box: Murrow’s Legacy and the Future of Electronic News Summit brought together leaders in the industry, from managers responsible for the bottom line to journalists on the front line. The mission was to address with candor the realities and future of broadcast journalism.  Read Person to Person by Ellen Huntin which she writes about a three day summit on Edward R. Murrow sponsored by the McCormick Foundation, featured in the September/October 2008 issue of Communicator. Hear clips from this three day summit by clicking here, and view video and photos here.

Click here to read Terry Heaton's blog on the event.

Video and Photos