Requiem for a legend

Daniel Schorr, 1916-2010

When I set out for Syracuse University in the fall of 1982, I joked that I wanted to be the next Sam Donaldson, but the truth was the man I admired the most was Daniel Schorr. More than Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather or Woodward and Bernstein, to me Daniel Schorr represented the nobility and importance of the newsman's craft. In this interview, he recounts his most electrifying moment as a journalist: reading his own name in the Nixon White House's "Enemies List" -- on live television.  Here, NPR's Scott Simon reminisces, and a nearly hour-long special remembrance can be heard here. What I loved about Schorr was that he made the right enemies. History vindicated Schorr's refusal to bend to the principles of others...not that his moral compass should surprise a soul. After all, he was one of the last of the Murrow Boys.

Schorr's legacy lives on here in Boston.  The Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize, sponsored by WBUR and Boston University, supports the next generation of journalists. Past recipients of the prize include NPR's Guy Raz, Lourdes Garcia Navarro, and Laura Sullivan.

Men and women of Schorr's caliber and conscientiousness are in scarce supply. In the 21st century, viewers have come to believe that journalists sit at an anchor desk and read copy written by people who couldn't spell the word ethics if you spotted them the e, the t and the h. Outside of organizations like NPR, the line between editorial and entertainment can scarcely be traced (I'm looking directly at you, Fox News). Perhaps it's just as well that Daniel Schorr, at the age of 93, has become a part of history. I'm shattered by his passing, more than I can remember being by the death of a public figure.

On behalf of those who remember what it means to stand for something, thank you, Mr. Schorr.

Photo credit:  Daniel Schorr, NPR.