Martin Zama Agronsky ( ; January 12, 1915 – July 25, 1999), also known as Martin Agronski, was an American journalist, political analyst, and television host. He began his career in 1936 working under his uncle, Gershon Agron, at the ''

Palestine Post Palestine Post ( ar, البريد الفلسطيني) is the company responsible for postal service in the State of Palestine. See also * Postage stamps and postal history of the Palestinian National Authority * Postage stamps and postal history ...

'' in Jerusalem before deciding to work freelance in Europe a year later. At the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

he became a war correspondent for

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

, working across three continents before returning to the United States in 1943 and covering the last few years of the war from Washington, D.C., with ABC. After the war, Agronsky covered

McCarthyism McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner. The term origin ...

for ABC; fearless against McCarthy, he won a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

for 1952. When broadcast journalism moved away from radio, Agronsky returned to NBC, covering the news as well as interviewing prominent figures, including

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

as a young man. He returned to Jerusalem for a time and won the Alfred I. duPont Award in 1961 for his coverage of the Eichmann trial there. At the end of 1962 he recorded a documentary aboard the submarine USS ''George Washington'' which received an award at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

. A prominent news reporter, and associate of John F. Kennedy, he extensively covered the 1963 assassination of Kennedy. The following year he joined CBS, becoming reportedly the only journalist to work for all three commercial networks. With CBS, he moderated ''

Face the Nation ''Face the Nation'' is a weekly news and morning public affairs program airing Sundays on the CBS radio and television network. Created by Frank Stanton in 1954, ''Face the Nation'' is one of the longest-running news programs in the history ...

'' and won an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for his interviews with

Hugo Black Hugo Lafayette Black (February 27, 1886 – September 25, 1971) was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist who served as a U.S. Senator from Alabama from 1927 to 1937 and as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1937 to 1971. ...

, which marked the first television interview with a sitting

Supreme Court Justice The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme ...

. He left major companies in 1968, joining a local network to helm his own show, ''Agronsky & Co.'' A success, the show pioneered the "

talking heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

" news format. He added the ''Evening Edition'', an interview format, to his show, which became prominent for its coverage of the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's contin ...

. Agronsky then joined PBS, swapping the ''Evening Edition'' for a longer interview show, ''Agronsky at Large''. In his later career, he also acted as variations on himself in film and television. A graduate of

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

, this institution would also award Agronsky an honorary Master of Arts and the Rutgers University Award (its highest honor), and the University inducted him into its Hall of Distinguished Alumni. He continued hosting ''Agronsky & Co.'' until 1988, when he retired from his over 50-year journalism career.

Early years

Martin Zama Agronsky was born Martin Zama Agrons in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, on January 12, 1915, to Isador and Marcia (née Dvorin),

Russian Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...

immigrants from

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

in present-day Belarus. Isador Agrons changed the family name from Agronsky to Agrons some time before Martin's birth, but Martin chose to use the original name when he began his journalism career. Members of the family variously used the names Agronsky, Agrons, and Agron. In his career, Agronsky had a friendship with

Harry Golden Harry Lewis Golden (May 6, 1902 – October 2, 1981) was an American writer and newspaper publisher. Early life Golden was born Herschel Goldhirsch (or Goldenhurst) in the shtetl Mikulintsy, Austria-Hungary. His mother Nuchama (nee Klein) was R ...

, who befriended and became a confidant to Isador. Agronsky's family moved to

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, when he was a young child, and he graduated from

Atlantic City High School Atlantic City High School (ACHS) is a comprehensive public high school in Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. It is the lone secondary school of the Atlantic City School District. The current school building opened ...

in 1932. He studied at

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city in and the seat of government of Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.a member of Jewish fraternity

Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Alpha Mu (), commonly known as Sammy, is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Though initially founded as a Jewish organization, the fraternity dropped its religious affiliation and became open to men of a ...

and represented them on the Interfraternity Council.

Career

1936–1945: Early career and World War II

Martin Agronsky 1942 press photo thumbnail

In 1936, upon his graduation, Agronsky was offered a job as a reporter for the English-language ''Palestine Post'', precursor to today's '' Jerusalem Post'', which was owned by his uncle, Gershon Agron, and moved to

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. He left the newspaper in 1937 – he was uncomfortable working for Agron, calling it "pure nepotism", as he "wanted to make it on his own" – and moved to Paris to open a bookstore, before becoming a

freelance journalist ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

covering the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

. During his time in Europe, primarily Britain and France, he freelanced for various newspapers and translated French stories into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

for the

International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.

; he notably wrote an in-depth piece for '' Foreign Affairs'' magazine on the rise of

anti-Semitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

in Mussolini's Italy. This article caught the attention of the Paris bureau of the ''New York Times'', the newspaper at which Agronsky had long aspired to work. At the outbreak of

, he moved to

Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

in Switzerland, where he met

Max Jordan Max Jordan (later Father Placid Jordan - April 21, 1895 in Sanremo, Italy Staatsarchiv Basel-Stadt Signatur: PD-REG 3a 18095 - November 1977) was a pioneering radio journalist for the NBC network in Europe in the 1930s. Later, he became a Benedic ...

, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) bureau chief in Europe, who initially asked Agronsky to work freelance writing radio stories. Agronsky sold his stories to both NBC and the ''New York Times''. Despite having no

broadcast journalism Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are broadcast by electronic methods instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. It works on radio (via air, cable, and Internet), television (via air, cable, ...

training, in April 1940 he was hired by NBC as a radio war correspondent when the company expanded their coverage. Agronsky was conflicted in taking the job, as on the same day he had been offered a foreign assignment job by ''The New York Times'', his dream job, but NBC was offering $250 per week plus expenses. Jordan wanted to put together an NBC presence throughout Europe to cover the British conflict with Germany in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

and tapped Agronsky to be the bureau chief there. Joining NBC as their Balkan correspondent, Agronsky became accredited by the British military and

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

(RAF). He covered the war from all over the Balkans and much of Eastern Europe before opening a permanent NBC bureau in

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

, the capital of neutral Turkey. Although based in Ankara, Agronsky spent most of his time in Istanbul. He then became a foreign correspondent in Europe and North Africa, transferring to

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...

and being accredited to cover the British Eighth Army, in North Africa. Though NBC's European war coverage was not particularly celebrated, Agronsky "was a bright spot ..distinguishing himself under fire in the Balkans, North Africa, and the Middle East." He was also accredited to cover " Malaya and the Dutch East Indies" in Southeast Asia; when NBC's Asia correspondent

John Young John Young may refer to: Academics * John Young (professor of Greek) (died 1820), Scottish professor of Greek at the University of Glasgow * John C. Young (college president) (1803–1857), American educator, pastor, and president of Centre Col ...

had to leave

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

in November 1941 due to lack of British accreditation, Agronsky was sent in his stead, arriving from Ankara on December 22, 1941. After

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...

and Singapore were bombed by Japan on December 7–8, 1941, Agronsky, now considered a seasoned war correspondent, was sent to the Pacific theater. His Pacific coverage would take him to Australia, where he was set to cover Douglas MacArthur's arrival in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. In Singapore, Agronsky first stayed at the

Raffles Hotel Raffles Hotel is a British colonial-style luxury hotel in Singapore. It was established by Armenian hoteliers, the Sarkies Brothers, in 1887. The hotel was named after British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern S ...

with other journalists, but left the week after Christmas 1941, on the day

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

was declared, to stay outside the city. He was not allowed to send news of the implementation of martial law, due to the short length of his broadcasts, and was subject to the same censorship as the local press; fellow journalist Cecil Brown was ultimately completely censored, and Agronsky was not permitted to telegraph this news for several days. Brown had met Agronsky in Ankara in 1941, and described him then: "He is a jet-haired, zealous correspondent ... who gets almost all his information from the British Embassy. He works very hard ... and he and Burdett are busy cutting each other's throat to achieve what are euphemistically known as 'scoops.'" Agronsky was still in Singapore as the Japanese arrived, managing to catch the last plane out before the city was captured. He was then attached to MacArthur's troops and primarily covered Japan's conquest and the Allied retreat in Asia, nearly being captured by Japanese soldiers in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

and riding with the Dutch military on a

Lockheed Lodestar The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar is a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era. Design and development Sales of the 10–14 passenger Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra, which first flew in 1937, had proved disappointing, despite the ai ...

for the final leg to Australia. He came to national attention in 1942 due to his reporting in the Pacific, after broadcasting news that the Allies were struggling in

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...

due to expired munitions and that the RAF had been turned away from Singapore as the Americans were not expecting them, suffering severe Japanese attacks in the confusion. He flew with the RAF on some bombing missions. NBC was ordered to divest its radio network through the Red and Blue Networks in 1943, and Agronsky's contract was among those assigned to the "Blue" network, which NBC chose to divest. The associated assets became the

American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...

(ABC); smaller and less-renowned than the already-established networks, ABC did not have a television bureau. Agronsky returned to the United States in 1943 when he joined ABC. While other prominent war journalists found themselves able to take senior positions on television, Agronsky was instead assigned to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where he did ''The Daily War Journal'' until the end of World War II.

1946–1955: ABC and McCarthy coverage

Agronsky maintained his prominence as a radio journalist for ABC following the war. An early proponent of

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life o ...

, when president Harry S. Truman gave his speech to the NAACP in 1947, Agronsky was sceptical, suggesting that it was "a political gesture"; NAACP president

Walter Francis White Walter Francis White (July 1, 1893 – March 21, 1955) was an American civil rights activist who led the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for a quarter of a century, 1929–1955, after joining the organi ...

wrote to Agronsky to disagree, showing the NAACP's support for Truman. In 1948, Agronsky helped to pioneer television coverage of American political conventions, continuing to report from them with the first major television broadcasts in 1952. In 1948, Agronsky had the most sponsors in broadcasting, with 104. He then took a principled stance against growing

, also reporting on the

Hollywood 10 The Hollywood blacklist was an entertainment industry Blacklisting, blacklist, broader than just Hollywood, put in effect in the mid-20th century in the United States during the early years of the Cold War. The blacklist involved the practice of ...

and House Un-American Activities Committee. While many reporters gave milquetoast coverage of McCarthyism, said to be out of fear, Agronsky, like CBS's

Edward R. Murrow Edward Roscoe Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25, 1908 – April 27, 1965) was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broadcasts from Europe f ...

after him, was openly critical of McCarthy and of the senators who enabled him. This bold stance saw Agronsky targeted with anti-Semitic

hate mail Hate mail (as electronic, posted, or otherwise) is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient. Hate mail often contains exceptionally abusive, foul or otherwi ...

and his show lose sponsors, apparently pressured to leave by McCarthy so that Agronsky's show would be taken off air; ABC, however, "congratulated him and took him to lunch", and encouraged him to continue with the criticisms. The conversation reportedly went: He won the

for 1952 for his coverage and criticism of Senator Joseph McCarthy's excessive accusations, with the awarding committee noting that his ability to get "the story behind the story is distinctive". He summarized McCarthy by saying: "Joe didn't take criticism very well." In 1953, Agronsky questioned president

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

on investigating

communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...

in churches and on

book burning Book burning is the deliberate destruction by fire of books or other written materials, usually carried out in a public context. The burning of books represents an element of censorship and usually proceeds from a cultural, religious, or politi ...

. ABC then became the only major network to broadcast the 1954 Army–McCarthy hearings on television, growing their prominence and "sinking McCarthy" due to the public exposure to his excesses. Agronsky also did a one-on-one discussion show at ABC, ''At Issue'', which aired on Sunday evenings in 1953. One prominent episode dealt with the tobacco crisis in 1953; new medical reports were appearing that suggested a link between smoking and lung cancer, and the

tobacco industry The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...

was keen to encourage suppression of this information. One of few shows to cover the reports, Agronsky's program nevertheless "ended on a favorable note after conferences Hill_&_Knowlton.html" ;"title="Hill+Knowlton Strategies">Hill & Knowlton">Hill+Knowlton Strategies">Hill & Knowlton, the public relations firm hired by

Big Tobacco Big Tobacco is a name used to refer to the largest companies in the tobacco industry. According to the World Medical Journal, the five largest tobacco companies are: Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Japan T ...

. ''At Issue'' was moved to Sunday afternoons as part of its block of public affairs programming in 1954, and ended later that year when ABC faced technical and sponsorship issues, scrapping its Sunday afternoon programming. Agronsky was a member of the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association (RTCA) from 1948; and became its chair, ending his term in 1954 (when Richard Harkness took the position) and becoming an ''ex officio'' member of its executive committee.

1956–1963: ''Look Here'', Eichmann trial, and NBC News

In 1956, with television now the leading broadcast medium, Agronsky left ABC (whose program was still weak) and returned to NBC, as a news correspondent. From 1957 through 1964, starting with the Dave Garroway-hosted ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' show, he did all the interviews out of Washington, D.C. In 1960, the show (and so Agronsky) began interviewing executive Secretaries. During this period his reputation grew. He also hosted the one-on-one interview show ''Look Here'', where he interviewed, among others, John F. Kennedy as a senator, and a young

Martin Luther King Jr Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 196 ...

. Agronsky interviewed King on multiple occasions, with King notably outlining his nonviolence beliefs and faith in God on ''Look Here''. Also speaking on God, an answer Kennedy gave to Agronsky on his faith – that he would "uphold the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

" above all – became a prolific quote he used throughout his presidential campaign. Agronsky covered the Eichmann trial, of

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

war criminal Adolf Eichmann, in Jerusalem in 1961 for nine months from start to finish, for which he won the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award. Agronsky's reports were broadcast daily in a segment of the '' Huntley-Brinkley Report'' at 6:30a.m. as special reports; he interviewed

Holocaust survivors Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its allies before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universally accep ...

as well as figures of interest in Israel and Germany. There was much media attention given to the trial, but typically on the wider implications, with little focus on the case of Eichmann: Agronsky's updates, including a verdict interview on the ''Today'' show, were atypical in their regularity. Agronsky called the assignment the "most moving" story of his career. While in Jerusalem, he spoke to friend Richard C. Blum, expressing his stress; Blum said that Agronsky was the go-to reporter in D.C. for Israel affairs. Also in 1961, Agronsky interviewed Freedom Riders in the United States as the group was formed, and covered the

Vienna summit The Vienna summit was a summit meeting held on June 4, 1961, in Vienna, Austria, between President John F. Kennedy of the United States and First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union. The leaders of the two superpowers of the Cold ...

In December 1962, Agronsky and a film crew underwent Navy training and joined the submariners of the USS ''George Washington'', part of the American Polaris program, undersea for almost three weeks during operational duty to film the documentary ''Polaris Submarine: Journal of an Undersea Voyage''. It won a variety of awards, including a documentary award, the St Mark's Plaque – First Prize, at the 1963

. Agronsky began television coverage of the

March on Washington The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as simply the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...

in August 1963, at 8:30a.m. on ''Today'', giving a half-hour report. Coverage then continued in different bursts across networks; Agronsky reported with

Nancy Dickerson Nancy Dickerson (January 19, 1927 – October 18, 1997) was an American radio and television journalist and researcher for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. As famous as a celebrity and socialite as she was for her journalism, she later ...

from the

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and th ...

during the day. This same month, NBC wrote that Agronsky's "incisive questioning of Cabinet members Congressmen and other Washington .C.officials, as well as visiting statesmen from abroad, often results in important newsbreaks in the next day's papers." Later in 1963, Agronsky was given special permission to travel to Moscow to report on nuclear discussions, after NBC had been banned. Upon his return, he gave audiences his opinions on US foreign policy based on what he had witnessed, saying in such a global political climate, no country could remain a bystander, encouraging the general population to not be apathetic.

1963: Assassination of John F. Kennedy

In the four-day aftermath of the assassination of president John F. Kennedy, Agronsky was one of the senior journalists to lead the large television news coverage. The coverage invented the breaking format of modern

television news News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting various news events and other information via television, radio, or the internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or telev ...

. Sociologists from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, led by

Herbert Gans Herbert J. Gans (born May 7, 1927) is a German-born American sociologist who taught at Columbia University from 1971 to 2007. One of the most prolific and influential sociologists of his generation, Gans came to America in 1940 as a refugee fro ...

, interviewed a selection of the on-air journalists covering the assassination shortly afterwards to assess its affects; many were questioned about showing emotion. Agronsky's response, saying a journalist cannot show emotion as it would be imposing feelings on the viewer, was later said to typify the view of the issue at the time. When pressed further on the matter by Gans, Agronsky added: "I wanted to cry, but you don't". He was reported to be smoking as he delivered reports from Washington, D.C., during the coverage, while hiding his cigarettes from the camera. Historian William Manchester wrote that shortly after the shooting, Agronsky telephoned

Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic ...

to ask if he would be flying from D.C. to Dallas, one of limited communications Ted Kennedy received in the aftermath of his brother's assassination due to telephone lines overloading as people tried to call others to talk about the news. Agronsky covered Kennedy's lying in state on the ''

'' show. He noted that he had also covered the funeral of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

, describing the different mood by explaining that people mourning Kennedy seemed moved by his unfulfilled potential. On November 27, 1963, five days after the assassination, Agronsky conducted an interview with Texas governor

John Connally John Bowden Connally Jr. (February 27, 1917June 15, 1993) was an American politician. He served as the 39th governor of Texas and as the 61st United States secretary of the Treasury. He began his career as a Democrat and later became a Republic ...

from his bedside in

Parkland Memorial Hospital Parkland Memorial Hospital is a public hospital in Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the main hospital of the Parkland Health & Hospital System and serves as Dallas County's public hospital. It is located within the Southwestern Medical Di ...

. Connally, to whom Agronsky was a good friend, had been riding in the seat ahead of Kennedy and was wounded. As Connally recovered, the press were desperate to hear his story, but his aides deemed him too weak to face a conference. Instead, the combined press accepted the proposal to use a single reporter as a

pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky po ...

, with all networks carrying the interview live. Connally's office chose Agronsky to be their reporter; he was found in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

late the night before and took a midnight flight to Dallas. Agronsky had interviewed John F. Kennedy in life, with segments re-run on the 20th anniversary of the assassination in television documentary ''Thank You, Mr. President'', and co-authored and edited the 1961 book ''Let Us Begin: The First 100 Days of the Kennedy Administration''.

1964–1969: CBS

Agronsky moved to CBS in 1964. While there he held positions as the CBS bureau chief in Paris and moderator of ''

''. In 1969 he won an Emmy Award for his CBS News Special Reports television documentary ''Justice Black and the Bill of Rights'' or ''Justice Black and the Constitution'', the first television interview with

, about Black's views on incorporation of the

Bill of Rights A bill of rights, sometimes called a declaration of rights or a charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public officials and pr ...

. This was rebroadcast in 1971. From 1968 to 1969, Agronsky was the Paris bureau chief for CBS.

1969–1988: Eponymous programs

''Agronsky & Company''

Donald Rumsfeld with Martin Agronsky DD-SN-07-12957

Agronsky became a news anchor for WTOP-TV in Washington, D.C., in 1969, and in 1970 became host of the political discussion television program '' Agronsky & Company'', produced by the same station. The format had Agronsky introduce a short segment on the news with political reporters. Shortly afterward, Agronsky left the local evening news and ''Agronsky & Company'' became a stand-alone weekly show produced and syndicated by Post-Newsweek stations (WTOP's then-owner). The show was syndicated nationally by Post-Newsweek to local stations and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) nationally, including WETA in D.C. It was syndicated, in 1981, to twenty-five television stations, and

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Old-time radio, golden ...

began carrying a radio format of the show in October 1981. In the 1970s and 80s, Agronsky also moderated a radio show, ''European Perspectives'', tackling international news with foreign correspondents based in Washington on the panel. ''Broadcasting'' magazine noted in 1981 that Agronsky "still finds himself in the center of most of the biggest stories of the day." He hosted ''Agronsky & Company'' until he retired in January 1988, and it proved to be one of the biggest successes of his career. It was renamed '' Inside Washington'' upon Agronsky's retirement, and was hosted by Gordon Peterson until it ended in 2013. The show generally is credited as having invented the preeminent roundtable ("

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

") discussion format for public affairs and political television shows that feature prominent journalists discussing current events and offering their opinions about them. ''Agronsky & Company'' did not have the spirited arguments and shouting that came to characterize many of its imitators, however. Its regular panelists included Hugh Sidey of ''Time'' magazine,

Peter Lisagor Peter Lisagor (August 5, 1915 – December 10, 1976) was Washington bureau chief of the ''Chicago Daily News'' from 1959 to 1976 and was one of the most respected and best-known journalists in the United States. Lisagor gained nationwide reco ...

of the ''

Chicago Daily News The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. History The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Doughert ...

'', and columnists Carl Rowan, James J. Kilpatrick, Elizabeth Drew, and

George Will George Frederick Will (born May 4, 1941) is an American libertarian-conservative political commentator and author. He writes regular columns for ''The Washington Post'' and provides commentary for NBC News and MSNBC. Gold, Hadas (May 8, 2017)." ...

. Although some of the liberal-versus-conservative argumentation now common on American public affairs shows began with pointed arguments between ''Agronsky & Company'' panelists, Agronsky himself always exerted a calming influence. The show was held in generally high regard; Ted Kennedy once said that "everybody who is in public life watches Agronsky." It had been at the forefront of the changing face of journalism in format and in terms of personalities, particularly the rise of " buckraking", with its panelists becoming national figures and often sought-after as public speakers in later years. In 1986, it was overtaken in ratings by John McLaughlin's copycat show ''

The McLaughlin Group ''The McLaughlin Group'' was a syndicated half-hour weekly public affairs television program in the United States, during which a group of four pundits, prompted by the host, discusses current political issues in a round table format. John ...

''; the major difference was said to be that "the pace of ''McLaughlin'' and its air of personal enmity give viewers the sense that they are watching genuine insider banter." After Agronsky's death, ''Agronsky & Co.'' commentator Hugh Sidey told the ''

American Journalism Review The ''American Journalism Review'' (''AJR'') was an American magazine covering topics in journalism. It was launched in 1977 as the ''Washington Journalism Review'' by journalist Roger Kranz. It ceased publication in 2015. History and profile Th ...

'' of the show:

''Martin Agronsky's Evening Edition''

In 1970, in addition to hosting ''Agronsky & Company'' once a week, Agronsky started a five-night-a-week half-hour interview show, ''Martin Agronsky's Evening Edition'', produced by Eastern Educational Network. An early daily news program, it became much-viewed during the

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

reportedly watched the show avidly, sending Agronsky notes on his coverage. ''Evening Edition'' extensively covered Nixon's

presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...

, including the Cold War détente and

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

. ''Evening Edition'' aired nightly and was on before, during and after the Watergate break-in hearings broadcast on PBS that led, ultimately, to

Nixon's resignation President Richard Nixon made an address to the American public from the Oval Office on August 8, 1974, to announce his resignation from the presidency due to the Watergate scandal. Nixon's resignation was the culmination of what he referred to ...

on August 9, 1974. ''Evening Edition'' went off the air in late 1975. Due to PBS experiencing "escalating program costs", it cut many shows going into 1976, including ''Evening Edition''. Though Agronsky had been on coast-to-coast stations for many years, the relatively local programming which he headlined "did much to make Agronsky an influential national figure."

''Agronsky At Large''

For PBS, Agronsky and Paul Duke interviewed president Gerald Ford in 1975. Agronsky then did a one-hour interview show weekly on PBS during 1976 titled ''Agronsky at Large,'' where he interviewed such guests as Alfred Hitchcock and

Anwar Sadat Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...

shortly before the Egyptian leader's assassination. He also interviewed Muhammad Ali and George F. Kennan, a recording of which is held in the

American Archive of Public Broadcasting The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) is a collaboration between the Library of Congress and WGBH Educational Foundation, founded through the efforts of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The AAPB is a national effort to digital ...

's Peabody Awards collection. Interviewing

Jody Powell Joseph Lester "Jody" Powell, Jr. (September 30, 1943 – September 14, 2009) was an American political advisor who served as a White House press secretary during the presidency of Jimmy Carter. Powell later co-founded a public relations firm. E ...

, president

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

's press secretary, in 1977, Agronsky suggested that the "honeymoon" period between the media and new presidents had been effectively curtailed following the Vietnam War and Watergate.

Impact and legacy

During his 52-year journalism career (print from 1936 to 1940 and radio and television from 1940 to 1988) Agronsky worked for all three commercial networks in the United States. He is believed to be the only broadcast journalist/commentator to have worked for all three, and is the only person to work for all three and PBS. He was the first television reporter to interview a sitting

. The moderator-led

panel discussion A panel discussion, or simply a panel, involves a group of people gathered to discuss a topic in front of an audience, typically at scientific, business, or academic conferences, fan conventions, and on television shows. Panels usually include a ...

format of news shows was, in 1984, described as "Martin Agronski style". ''Agronsky & Company'' pioneered the "talking heads" news format. His papers, containing approximately 30,000 items, are held in a collection in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

Personal life

Profiling him for his Peabody win, ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...

'' noted that Agronsky was a figure, being 5'11" and dark-haired. He married Helen Smathers on September 1, 1943. Smathers was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

nurse whom he met in 1942 while covering MacArthur in Melbourne. Agronsky returned to the U.S. in March 1943, whereupon he expedited Smathers's return. They were married in Baltimore, Maryland, at City Hall, grabbing a stranger off the street to be their witness. They went on to have four children: Marcia, Jonathan, David, and Julie. He built a modernist house for his family in Washington, D.C. in 1951, though grew sick of the style by 1953. In 1964, his home set on fire, suffering $35,000 worth of damage, and he broke his heel jumping from the second floor porch to get out. Helen died on February 18, 1969, of cancer. Agronsky then married Sharon Hines on April 22, 1971; the marriage produced one child, Rachel. Agronsky and Hines divorced after fifteen years. He died at his Rock Creek Park home in Washington, D.C., on July 25, 1999, of

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

. He was 84. Agronsky's son Jonathan Ian Zama Agronsky is an American journalist and biographer. He attended St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., before studying English at

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

; enrolling in 1964, he failed his studies twice before graduating with an AB in 1971. He used his studentship to avoid the draft for the

, something about which he has expressed embarrassment, despite disagreeing with the war. He began professionally writing in 1967. Though he followed his father's career, he had planned to be a college football player, joining a team at the age of eight and playing varsity halfback at prep school before joining and, ten days later, quitting the team at Dartmouth due to injury and malcontent. Some of his earlier columns include contributing to the '' Penthouse'' Vietnam Veterans Advisor column in the 1970s and 1980s; he also wrote an article on

Marion Barry Marion Shepilov Barry (born Marion Barry Jr.; March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2014) was an American politician who served as the second and fourth mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democrat, Barry had served ...

in the magazine in 1991, a topic on which he was an expert, publishing a book on Barry the same year. At this time he worked for

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...

in Washington, D.C. He also wrote for the ''

Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focu ...

''. As well as journalistic writing, he has written books and scripts for film and radio. His book on Barry, ''The Politics of Race'', was said by Kirkus Reviews to give "a careful, sober, and balanced account of Barry's decline and fall, and of a manipulation of the politics of race", but to "not explore the profound political cleavages evident in the result of Barry's trial". He has written on other legal matters, including in 1987 on ''Miranda'' rights in ''

ABA Journal The ''ABA Journal'' (since 1984, formerly ''American Bar Association Journal'', 1915–1983, evolved from '' Annual Bulletin'', 1908–1914) is a monthly legal trade magazine and the flagship publication of the American Bar Association. It is no ...

''. In 2009 he was included in '' The Nine Lives of Marion Barry'', a documentary film about the controversial politician. In 2020, he began writing a book on David Whiting.

Filmography

Awards and honors

In 1987, Agronsky gave the commencement address at

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

;Audio-visual media * * * * * ;Bibliography * * * ;Collections * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;Features * * * * * * * * ;Literature * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;News * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;Trade press * * ;Web * * * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Agronsky, Martin 1915 births 1999 deaths 20th-century American Jews American Ashkenazi Jews American people of Russian-Jewish descent Atlantic City High School alumni Peabody Award winners Television anchors from Philadelphia Rutgers University alumni Jewish American journalists Writers from Atlantic City, New Jersey