Sad News From NPR: Daniel Schorr, Veteran Newsman and NPR Staple, Dead at 93

by Rachel Sklar | 4:02 pm, July 23rd, 2010

» 3 comments

The journalism profession lost a lion today — Daniel Schorr, longtime NPR senior news analyst and, before that, CNN correspondent and member of CBS’s news team for almost three decades. According to NPR’s release, Schorr, 93, died at home peacefully surrounded by his family after a short illness.

In its obituary, NPR called Schorr “a living history book” — in his decades in the business, he covered the Marshall Plan after World War II, the building — and the fall — of the Berlin Wall, Sputnik, reopened CBS’ Moscow office (and was then subsequently barred from the Soviet Union), Washington through umpteen presidents, helped launch CNN, and, awesomely, was on Nixon’s enemies list. He remained active through the very last months of his life, gamely joining Twitter (dropping commentary and the occasional joke: “Would you call a summit over beer a ‘brew-haha’?”), and six months ago switched to composing his commentary for “All Things Considered” on a computer, rather than a typewriter. He was a fan favorite of any regular NPR listener, and clearly the staff as well. Memo from NPR President and CEO Vivian Schiller below.

From: NPR Communications
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2010 12:49 PM
To: AREPS; AllStaff
Subject: From Vivian Schiller: Dan Schorr
Importance: High

All –

I have very sad news to share. We’ve just learned that Dan Schorr died peacefully this morning surrounded by family, at the age of 93. His family has asked us to share this news with the extended NPR community.

It’s impossible to overestimate Dan’s impact on journalism — from his early days working with Edward R. Murrow, to the founding of CNN, to the last 25 years as NPR’s news analyst, a familiar and beloved voice to millions of listeners. Every one of us who happened to see Dan coming in to work — walking a little more slowly with time but with a razor-sharp wit and warmth that never dimmed — learned a lesson in the dedication, determination, and integrity that it takes to be the best. He was.

NPR will air an obituary, and you’ll soon find tributes, Dan’s archived commentaries, and a retrospective on NPR.org. Additionally, we’re preparing a one-hour special about Dan to make available to all stations. Joyce MacDonald and her staff will be in touch with stations as soon as possible with those details. We’ll share news of a possible memorial service once we know more.

Please join me in remembering this great man.

- Vivian

Photo of Daniel Schorr courtesy of NPR; seating chart from the CBS Washington bureau, circa 1969, drawn by Bob Schieffer, from Roger Mudd’s The Place To Be.

betweentwoevils

A great journalists has passed. I always enjoyed his comments on NPR. He was always on point and thought-provoking. This is just a stark reminder of what we see that passes for journalism now.
am_underground

God, how sad it is when a giant like Schorr passes and there is only a few brief words on all the news programs. Today’s so called journalist could have learned a lot of the likes of such men and women of the greatest generations, especially how to write and delivery the new in an unbiased tone.

I’ve gotten to old for today’s communication networks of both the far left and far right. Too many talking head all out to break the latest with lead stories about the latest issues of a A-B-C & D celebrity.

God bless his family and wish them peace knowing that a true NEWS giant has gone to meet the others of his generation.
http://capturingthenews.com Tony Collings

He spoke truth to power. I remember when he stood up to Ted Turner at CNN. Schorr rebutted a Turner on-air editorial in which Turner said Congress should take action against the producers of the film “Taxi Driver” for inspiring John Hinckley to shoot Reagan, as I wrote in my blog, capturingthenews.com.
http://bit.ly/aVjopb