Alfred Balk (July 24, 1930 – November 25, 2010
) was an American reporter, nonfiction author and magazine editor who wrote groundbreaking articles about housing segregation, the
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930.
A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...
, the environment and Illinois politics. His refusal to identify a confidential source led to a landmark court case. During a career-long emphasis on media improvement, he served on the Twentieth Century Fund's task force that established a National News Council, consulted for several foundations, served as secretary of New York Governor
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...
's Committee on the Employment of Minority Groups in the News Media, and produced a film, ''That the People Shall Know: The Challenge of Journalism'', narrated by
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...
. He wrote and co-authored books on a variety of topics, ranging from the tax exempt status of religious organizations to globalization to the history of radio.
Early life
Alfred William Balk was born in
Oskaloosa, Iowa
Oskaloosa is a city in, and the county seat of, Mahaska County, Iowa, United States. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Oskaloosa was a national center of bituminous coal mining. The population was 11,558 in the 2020 U.S. Cens ...
on July 24, 1930,
the son of Leslie William Balk and Clara Buell Balk. He grew up in
Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine ( ) is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,797 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase from 22,697 in 2000. The county seat of Muscatine County, it is located along the Mississippi River. The lo ...
and
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...
. He began his journalistic career writing for his high school paper, and also landed a job as a sports reporter for the local paper, ''The Rock Island Argus''.
After high school, he enrolled at
Augustana College Augustana College may refer to:
*Augustana College (Illinois)
*Augustana University Sioux Falls, South Dakota
*Augustana University College, Alberta
See also
*Augustana Divinity School (Neuendettelsau)
The Augustana-Hochschule Neuendettelsau is ...
in Rock Island, Illinois and transferred to
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
after a year where he graduated from the
Medill School of Journalism
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is a constituent school of Northwestern University that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. It frequently ranks as the top school of journalism in the Unite ...
with both bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism (1952 and 1953, respectively). He later served in the U.S. Army as a journalist and was stationed in Japan during 1954–1955. He began freelance writing for various magazines while in Japan, and also wrote for a variety of military newspapers during his service.
Magazine writing career
In 1958, after serving as a reporter for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'',
he began freelancing full-time.
During eight years of full-time freelancing his most influential articles appeared in the era's leading magazines, including ''Harper's'', ''The Nation'', ''The New York Times Magazine'', ''The Saturday Evening Post'', ''Reader's Digest'' and others. Balk was a member of the
Society of Magazine Writers, which elected him president in 1969.
While working at the weekly ''Saturday Evening Post'', which for a time retained him under contract as a lead writer, he wrote on subjects such as Mayor
Richard J. Daley
Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1955 and the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party Central Committee from 1953 until his death. He has been cal ...
of Chicago, victims of the fallout-shelter craze, how a T.V. jackpot almost ruined the winners, and defections among Protestant ministers He co-authored a report on the rise of
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert Poole; October 7, 1897 – February 25, 1975) was an African American religious leader, black separatist, and self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah, who led the Nation of Islam (NOI) from 1934 until his de ...
's Nation of Islam with
Alex Haley
Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer and the author of the 1976 book '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family.'' ABC adapted the book as a television miniseries of the same name and a ...
of future ''Roots'' fame. The pioneering article, "Black Merchants of Hate," later led to Haley's classic and bestseller
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
''The Autobiography of Malcolm X'' was published in 1965, the result of a collaboration between civil and human rights activist Malcolm X and journalist Alex Haley. Haley coauthored the autobiography based on a series of in-depth interviews he ...
.
Balk rose to prominence in 1962 after writing an article for the ''Saturday Evening Post'' titled “Confession of a Block-Buster” which chronicled a Chicago real estate speculator's strategy of frightening white homeowners into selling their property at a loss and then reselling to black buyers at inflated prices. The article made legal history when a group of black homeowners subsequently tried to compel disclosure of his confidential source, pseudonymous speculator ("Norris Vitchek"). In Baker v. F&F Investment, a U.S. District Court upheld his right to confidentiality, and in 1972 the United States Supreme Court declined to review the decision, and the press pronounced the case a landmark.
Among other prominent articles, for ''The Reader’s Digest'' he reported on nursing-home neglect, threats to public parkland, Great Lakes water problems, boating-boom safety hazards, and
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventio ...
remembered by a son; for ''The Reporter'', the social significance of ''Ebony'' magazine founder
John Johnson’s success; and for ''The New York Times Magazine'', the “Dust Bowl” revisited.
For ''Harper’s'', his subjects included zoning abuses, a builder who made integration pay, and two high-profile cover stories. One, a collaboration with then-State Sen.
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...
on “The Illinois Legislature: A Study in Corruption” (September 1964), spurred ethics reforms and vaulted Simon to national prominence, a U.S. Senate seat, and a legacy including helping foster President-to-be
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
’s political rise. The other, “God Is Rich” (October 1967), on religious organizations’ tax exemptions, led to the book ''The Religion Business'' (John Knox Press) and, under a Foundation fellowship, a nationwide study ''The Free List: Property Without Taxes'' (Russell Sage Foundation), which ''Time'', in a two-page report (May 3, 1971), described as “a penetrating new book.”
Magazine editing and industry leadership
Balk moved to New York in 1966 as features editor and editor at large of Saturday Review under
Norman Cousins
Norman Cousins (June 24, 1915 – November 30, 1990) was an American political journalist, author, professor, and world peace advocate.
Early life
Cousins was born to Jewish immigrant parents Samuel Cousins and Sarah Babushkin Cousins, in West ...
. Three years later, he became editor of the ''Columbia Journalism Review'' and also taught at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism. Balk's colleague and the magazine's founder, James Boylan wrote “As an editor, he worked with determination, often stubbornness, turning the Review into a reporters’ magazine, tougher and grittier.”
He left ''Columbia Journalism Review'' in 1973 to serve as founding editor of ''World Press Review'', a monthly foreign press digest, hiring Marion K. Sanders of ''Harper's'' and other distinguished journalists to build a successful publication, which was later acquired by The Stanley Foundation. His last magazine position, from 1989 to 1991, was as managing editor of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...
' publication,
IEEE Spectrum
''IEEE Spectrum'' is a magazine edited by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
The first issue of ''IEEE Spectrum'' was published in January 1964 as a successor to ''Electrical Engineering''. The magazine contains peer-revie ...
. He also was an Executive Committee member of the
American Society of Magazine Editors
The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) is an industry trade group for magazine journalists and editors of magazines published in the United States. ASME includes the editorial leaders of most major consumer magazine in print and digital ex ...
,
Overseas Press Club
The Overseas Press Club of America (OPC) was founded in 1939 in New York City by a group of foreign correspondents. The wire service reporter Carol Weld was a founding member, as was the war correspondent Peggy Hull. The club seeks to maintain ...
, as well as a consultant to the
Twentieth Century Fund
The Century Foundation (established first as The Cooperative League and then the Twentieth Century Fund) is a progressive think tank headquartered in New York City with an office in Washington, D.C. It was founded as a nonprofit public policy r ...
, the
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
and the
Markle Foundation
Markle Foundation is a New York-based private foundation established in 1927 by American industrialist / financier John Markle and his wife, Mary. Its focus is technology, health care, and national security.
History
Formally incorporated on Apr ...
. In the mid-1970s, he delivered media commentaries on
CBS Morning News
The ''CBS Morning News'' is an American early-morning news broadcast presented weekdays on the CBS television network. The program features late-breaking news stories, national weather forecasts and sports highlights. Since 2013, it has been an ...
. Throughout the 1970s - 1980s and 90s, his writing on media appeared in ''Nieman Reports'', ''Columbia Journalism Review'', ''Editor and Publisher'', ''Folio'', and other journalism organs.
Later life and writings
In 1991, Balk moved to Syracuse in upstate New York to teach journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. There he wrote his eighth book, ''The Rise of Radio: From Marconi Through the Golden Age'' (McFarland, 2006) which received positive reviews from other media professionals, including Mike Wallace of CBS.
Alfred Balk papers at Newberry Library
/ref>
All told, during his lifetime, Balk wrote more than 100 magazine articles and seven books.
Personal life and death
Balk married Phyllis Munter, of Moline, Illinois
Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline, Illinois, East M ...
, in 1953. They met while in high school representing rival schools on a local radio program. His wife served as an important support throughout her husband's career, as indicated in Balk's scholarly papers in the collections of the Newberry Library in Chicago and Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
. She was also known in her own right for extensive volunteer and charitable work.
Balk died of colon cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...
on November 25, 2010 in his home in Huntley, Illinois
Huntley is a village in McHenry and Kane counties, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 27,740. It is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area.
Geography
Huntley is in the southern part of McHenry County and ...
, aged 80. He was survived by his wife, two daughters and two grandchildren. His wife, Phyllis, died on May 4, 2011.
Books
* ''The Rise of Radio, from Marconi through the Golden Age'' (McFarland, 2006).
* ''Movie Palace Masterpiece: Saving Syracuse’s Loew’s State/Landmark Theatre'' (Landmark Foundation, 1998).
* ''The Myth of American Eclipse: The New Global Age'' (Transaction), 1990.
* ''A Free and Responsive Press'' (Twentieth Century Fund, Paperback), 1972.
* ''Our Troubled Press: Ten Years of Columbia Journalism Review'' co-author with James Boylan, Little Brown, 1971.
* ''The Free List: Property Without Taxes'' (Russell Sage/Basic Books), 1970.
* ''The Religion Business'' (John Knox Press), 1968.
* ''Kup’s Chicago: A Many-Faceted and Affectionate Portrait'' (collaboration with Irv Kupcinet, World), 1962.
Articles
Saturday Evening Post
* “Anyone for Survival” (Mar. 27, 1965)
* “The Last Dinosaur Wins Again” (May 11, 1963)
* “Black Merchants of Hate” (with Alex Haley; Jan. 26, 1963)
* “Why I Quit the Ministry” (with an anonymous ex-minister; Nov. 17, 1962)
* “Confessions of a Block-Buster” (July 14–21, 1962)
* “A Jackpot Almost Ruined Their Lives” (July 15, 1961).
Harper's
* “God Is Rich” (Oct., 1967)
* “Zoning: Invitation to Bribery” (Oct. 1966)
* “The Builder Who Makes Integration Pay” (July, 1965)
* “The Illinois Legislature: A Study in Corruption” (with Sen. Paul Simon; Sept., 1964).
Reader's Digest
* “Water Crisis on the Great Lakes” (Mar., 1965)
* “The Shame of Our Nursing Homes” (Jan., 1965)
* “Danger Rides in Small Boats” (Aug., 1962)
* “My Most Unforgettable Character” (December 1961)
* “Good-Bye to Our Public Parks” (November 1960).
The Reporter
* “Mr. Johnson Finds His Market” (Nov. 12, 1959).
New York Times Magazine
* “When the Wind Blew Black Blizzards” (Nov. 10, 1963).
Notes
References
* ''Who’s Who in America'', 2006.
* ''Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature'', 1955–2001.
* ''The New York Times Index'', 1963, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 2001.
* “Shielding News Sources in Civil Trial Permitted,” Linda Matthews, ''Los Angeles Times'', May 8, 1973.
* “Trying to Change an Unfair Tax,” ''Time'', May 3, 1971.
Distinguished journalist, Huntley resident dies, ''Daily Herald''
Alfred Balk dies at 80; journalist, ''LA Times''
Alfred Balk, 80, magazine editor and reporter, ''Boston Globe''
Alfred Balk,1930-2010, ''Chicago Tribune''
Phyllis Balk obituary
External links
Alfred Balk papers
at the Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities and located on Washington Square in Chicago, Illinois. It has been free and open to the public since 1887. Its collections encompass a variety of topics rela ...
Stanley Foundation
at Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
University of Maryland
Illumination">University of Maryland">University of Maryland
Illumination
Book Review: ''The Rise of Radio: From Marconi through the Golden Age''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balk, Alfred
People from Oskaloosa, Iowa
Medill School of Journalism alumni
American male journalists
American magazine editors
Syracuse University faculty
Writers from Iowa
Deaths from cancer in Illinois
1930 births
2010 deaths
People from Muscatine, Iowa
People from Rock Island, Illinois
Journalists from Illinois
People from Huntley, Illinois