Ed Bliss
Encyclopedia
Edward "Ed" Bliss, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist and author of several books. He died in Alexandria, Virginia.
. In fact, Bliss was born in China, in Fuzhou
. He lived in China until he was nine.
In 1935 Bliss graduated from Yale University
and landed his first job at a small Ohio
newspaper, The Bucyrus
. The pay, $6 per week but he was able to earn an extra $1.50 per week as a stringer
for the Toledo Blade. The experience paid off and 1936 found him working at a Scripps Howard newspaper, Columbus Citizen, in Columbus, Ohio
.
His first beat at the Citizen included the state prison. After he witnessed his first execution he submitted an unsolicited editorial opposing the death penalty. He set the editorial on his editor's desk and the next day it was published as the paper's lead editorial. He worked at the Citizen until 1942. While there he worked as a reporter, state editor, book and film reviewer and columnist
.
Away from journalism Bliss was married in 1940, to Lois.
in 1943. He got his start by chance. A friend Bliss was visiting in New York mentioned that Dallas Townsend
--a writer who later became a CBS broadcaster—had enlisted in the Army, leaving a job opening at CBS. He applied and was handed thousands of words of copy from United Press, Hearst International News Service and Associated Press
and told to write a five-minute newscast. It was a sort of test. He did it and he passed. CBS News
chief Paul White
gave him a midnight to 9 a.m. job writing news copy at CBS.
He was part of a second generation of Murrow's Boys
which included Alexander Kendrick
, George Polk
, David Schoenbrun
and others. Bliss produced and wrote for Murrow. He was also the first news editor for the CBS Evening News
With Walter Cronkite
.
He left CBS in 1968 to found the broadcast journalism
program at American University
in Washington D.C.
, Distinguished Broadcast Journalism Educator
1993: Radio-Television News Directors Association & Foundation Paul White Award
Bliss Before CBS
Bliss' father was a missionary doctor who spent much of his life in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. In fact, Bliss was born in China, in Fuzhou
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
. He lived in China until he was nine.
In 1935 Bliss graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and landed his first job at a small Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
newspaper, The Bucyrus
Bucyrus
Bucyrus can refer to*Bucyrus International, a mining equipment manufacturerBucyrus is also the name of some places in the U.S.:*Bucyrus, Kansas*Bucyrus, Missouri*Bucyrus, North Dakota*Bucyrus, Ohio...
. The pay, $6 per week but he was able to earn an extra $1.50 per week as a stringer
Stringer (journalism)
In journalism, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist or photographer who contributes reports or photos to a news organization on an ongoing basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work....
for the Toledo Blade. The experience paid off and 1936 found him working at a Scripps Howard newspaper, Columbus Citizen, in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
His first beat at the Citizen included the state prison. After he witnessed his first execution he submitted an unsolicited editorial opposing the death penalty. He set the editorial on his editor's desk and the next day it was published as the paper's lead editorial. He worked at the Citizen until 1942. While there he worked as a reporter, state editor, book and film reviewer and columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
.
Away from journalism Bliss was married in 1940, to Lois.
Bliss at CBS
Ed Bliss was hired by CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1943. He got his start by chance. A friend Bliss was visiting in New York mentioned that Dallas Townsend
Dallas Townsend
Dallas S. Townsend, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist who worked for CBS Radio and television for over 40 years.- Early career :...
--a writer who later became a CBS broadcaster—had enlisted in the Army, leaving a job opening at CBS. He applied and was handed thousands of words of copy from United Press, Hearst International News Service and Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and told to write a five-minute newscast. It was a sort of test. He did it and he passed. CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
chief Paul White
Paul White (journalist)
Paul Welrose White from Pittsburg, Kansas worked as director of news at CBS beginning in 1930. He was CBS' first news director. White worked as a newspaper journalist prior to beginning his radio broadcasting career with CBS...
gave him a midnight to 9 a.m. job writing news copy at CBS.
He was part of a second generation of Murrow's Boys
Murrow's Boys
Murrow’s Boys, or “The Murrow Boys,” were the CBS broadcast journalists most closely associated with Edward R. Murrow during his years at the network, most notably the years before and during World War II....
which included Alexander Kendrick
Alexander Kendrick
Alexander Kendrick was a broadcast journalist. He worked for CBS during World War II and was part of a second generation of reporters known as Murrow's Boys.- Kendrick Before CBS :Before hooking up with Edward R...
, George Polk
George Polk
George Polk was an American journalist for CBS who disappeared in Greece and was found dead a few days later on Sunday May 16, 1948, shot at point-blank range in the back of the head, and with hands and feet tied. Polk was covering the civil war in Greece between the right wing government and...
, David Schoenbrun
David Schoenbrun
David Schoenbrun , born in New York City, was an American broadcast journalist.He began his career teaching French and in WW2 served as a war correspondent from North Africa through to the liberation of France, for which he was decorated with the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honour.After the...
and others. Bliss produced and wrote for Murrow. He was also the first news editor for the CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
With Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
.
He left CBS in 1968 to found the broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
program at American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington D.C.
Books
Bliss wrote several books, mostly on the media. They include Writing News for Broadcast, and Now the News. He also edited a book called In Search of Light: The Broadcasts of Edward R. Murrow. In addition he wrote Beyond the Stone Arches, a book about his father.Honors
1984: Association for Education in Journalism and Mass CommunicationAssociation for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, or AEJMC, is a major international membership organization for academics in the field, offering regional and national conferences and refereed publications. It has numerous membership divisions, interest groups, publications and...
, Distinguished Broadcast Journalism Educator
1993: Radio-Television News Directors Association & Foundation Paul White Award