Murrow Symposium Background

On Tuesday, students at WSU will host two renowned journalists at the Murrow Symposium.Bob Schieffer and Helen Thomas are perhaps two of the most influential American journalists of the past half century. Their experience in the field of journalism takes them back as far as the Kennedy presidency and has focused on the nation's capitol and administration since then.Schieffer joined CBS news in 1969, according to an by CBS, and served an a principle anchor for the agency for over thirty years. Schieffer has the distinction of being one of only a few journalists who has covered all four beats in Washington; The White House, the Pentagon, the State Department and Capitol Hill.Helen Thomas is another of journalism’s trailblazers. Her career as a White house press member began during the Kennedy Presidency and has since earned her the nickname of "First Lady of the Press" according to an article from American Entertainment International Speakers. Here achievements in journalism are vast; "She was the first female officer of the National Press Club, the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents Association, and, in 1975, the first female member of the Gridiron Club", according to her bio on Wikipedia.These speakers will be recognized with awards at the Murrow Symposium in recognition of their industry achievements.