See It Now

See It Now was an American newsmagazine television program hosted and largely shaped by Edward R. Murrow. The series combined documentary reporting, investigative journalism, and broadcast innovation to examine public figures, international crises, cultural developments, and institutional practices. It brought televised reporting into prime time, influencing subsequent programs and generating debate across United States politics, United States Congress, broadcasting institutions such as National Broadcasting Company and American Broadcasting Company, and cultural organizations including the Academy Awards and the Peabody Awards.

Overview

Launched on Columbia Broadcasting System in 1951, the program showcased the work of producers and correspondents connected with Murrow's earlier radio unit at United States Office of War Information and CBS Radio. It drew on veterans of broadcast journalism who later became associated with institutions such as the Pulitzer Prize committees and the Columbia University journalism faculties. Subjects ranged from profiles of figures like Joseph McCarthy, Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman, and Adolf Eichmann to examinations involving events such as the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, and the Cold War. The series was produced amid the rise of network competition with Nolan Bushnell-era technology beginnings, the expansion of Federal Communications Commission regulations, and the growth of televised news exemplified later by 60 Minutes and Nightline.

Production and Format

The program employed a blend of filmed segments, studio interviews, and voice-over narration. Production techniques used included filmed overseas dispatches from correspondents linked to bureaus in London, Paris, Moscow, and Berlin, editing suites influenced by newsreel practices from companies like Pathé and Movietone, and live studio elements reminiscent of theatrical broadcasts such as The Ed Sullivan Show's staging. Key production staff included figures who later taught at Syracuse University and Northwestern University journalism programs and who worked with awards bodies like the George Polk Awards. The show often used documentary film stock, layered soundtracks, and montage editing inspired by earlier documentary practitioners associated with John Grierson and Dziga Vertov. Episodes typically ran 45–50 minutes in prime time and were funded through sponsorship arrangements involving corporations similar to RCA, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and advertisers who also supported Your Hit Parade and I Love Lucy.

Notable Episodes and Impact

One of the most consequential broadcasts focused on accusations made by United States Senator Joseph McCarthy and the activities of Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. That episode contributed to public debate culminating in actions by the United States Senate and intersected with hearings presided over by figures connected to the House Un-American Activities Committee. Other episodes investigated conditions in institutions such as veterans' hospitals and covered trials like the Rosenberg trial and the prosecution of Adolf Eichmann in Israel. Reports on the Korean War and analyses of the Suez Crisis influenced public discussion in Washington, D.C., New York City, and diplomatic circles including the United Nations General Assembly. The program’s interviews with cultural and political figures—ranging from Pablo Picasso and Marlon Brando to Joseph Stalin-era analysts and Western leaders—shaped perceptions during the early Cold War years. Its format inspired later series such as 60 Minutes and was referenced in journalistic debates at institutions like the New York Times Company and the Columbia Journalism Review.

Controversies and Censorship

From its inception the series intersected with censorship pressures and advertiser influence. Episodes critical of prominent figures elicited responses from corporate sponsors, legal counsel from firms akin to Cravath, Swaine & Moore, and inquiries by regulatory bodies such as the Federal Communications Commission. The McCarthy-focused broadcast provoked counterattacks from supporters of Joseph McCarthy and led to disputes touching on libel law and standards enforced in cases before courts including the United States Supreme Court. International reporting occasionally raised diplomatic complaints from embassies in Moscow and Tel Aviv and led to friction with network executives who balanced journalistic aims against relations with parent companies and advertising agencies like J. Walter Thompson and McCann Erickson. Internal network memos reveal tensions between producers and sponsors similar to controversies later encountered by programs around the Tet Offensive coverage and the Watergate scandal reporting.

Reception and Legacy

Contemporary reviews in outlets such as The New York Times, Time (magazine), and Life (magazine) praised the program’s seriousness and visual craft. It won honors from awarding bodies including the Peabody Awards and influenced curricula at journalism schools like Annenberg School for Communication and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Alumni from the show went on to shape programs at networks including NBC and ABC, produce documentaries for PBS, and write books published by houses such as Random House and HarperCollins. Its approach to televised investigation prefigured later legal and ethical debates involving news organizations like The Washington Post and broadcasters scrutinized during the Iran–Contra affair and the Gulf War. Institutional legacies include collections held by archives at Princeton University and Library of Congress repositories, exhibitions at museums such as the Museum of Broadcast Communications, and ongoing citation in scholarship published by presses like Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.

Category:1950s American television series Category:American television news programs