Eric Sevareid Farewell Nov 30, 1977

CBS Commentator Eric Sevareid bade farewell to his audience when he retired Nov 30, 1977. This video was rescued from a 3/4" Beta aircheck of the CBS Newsfeed I recorded everyday at 3:30 PST when I produced the 11pm newscast for KOIN-TV in Portland. Sevareid was one of my heroes because he was one of the last class acts of the Murrow era to retire. I recently rescued this video that had been sitting in my attic for all these years, and I thought it appropriate to post it here for a new generation to discover. Enjoy.

• Category

  News & Politics

[witness2history]

Eric Sevareid, Ed Murrow, Howard K. Smith...these were giants of intellect and integrity...followed by the pygmies of Beck, Hannity, and Olberman. How desperately sad for us all.

[Charley Kline]

As Peggy Noonan of the WSJ just tweeted: "Look how people used to talk on TV." Indeed... comparing this to today's pablum is really an eye-opener.

[David Swain]

Ryan, your great grandfather was a mighty man, a real hero who was a pioneer in days when the world was hovering on the edge of destruction. He, along with his colleagues at CBS News, were a part of a great heritage of reporting. May you always cherish his memory and use his example to motivate you to greatness.

[Ryan Severeid]

This is my great grand father, His last name is spelled Sevareid and mine is spelled Severeid it is just the American way to spell it, his is Norwegian

[Tanya Davis]

Me too :)

[Tanya Davis]

Now that was what a REAL television personality not to mention journalist, reporter, writer, and all around dude full of integrity and would be rolling over in his grave if he could see what this Country has become! But I digress; R.I.P. Mr. Eric Sevaried :)

You certainly would have been against a New World Order...

[UncleMikeNJ]

Happy 100th Birthday, Mr. Sevareid.

[Ron Rowland]

Just listening to the articulate tone of both Sevareid and Cronkite (at the end of the clip) it makes me all the more painfully aware of just how much the quality of broadcast news has deteriorated in my lifetime. These were true journalists.

[elwin38]

I remember this broadcast. I was 9yrs old and i used to tune in to CBS any night i was at home and not outside playing.

[keefriff99]

Just listen to how advanced & sophisticated Sevareid sounds here compared to the dumbed-down babble masquerading as public discourse today.

I daresay that most kids and young adults today would literally be unable to comprehend what he's saying.

There have been studies done which show that there has been a decline in the sophistication of language employed by politicians over the last 40 years...most now use the rhetorical equivalent of a high school sophomore.

A sad commentary, to be sure.

[mdpdoldcop]

"The danger of dangerously passionate certainties." Sleep well, brother.

[mandernu]

One of the giants of Broadcast Journalism One of the Best of the Very Best. A Murrow he was not, as no reporter will ever be. But Eric, like Charles Collingwood & Howard K. Smith & Larry LeSeur, et.al...will always be able to call themselves: One of the Murrows Boys!!!