Category Archives: crime

Editor takes on publisher’s pal: Big Town 1937

Posted on June 25, 2022 by Bob Stepno

I’m finally catching up with the first year of “Big Town” with Edward G. Robinson… the long-running series that eventually adopted a “flaming sword” slogan paraphrased at the top of this blog. I have long been curious about the series’ … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, Big Town, crime, detectives, Drama, editors, ethics, journalism, tabloids, technology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Newspaper fights exploitation of immigrants

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Bob Stepno

It was 1938 when the Daily Sentinel and publisher Britt Reid — as The Green Hornet — took on a Citizenship-Insurance Racket. https://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/G%20Series/Green%20Hornet,%20The/Green%20Hornet%2038-05-05%20(0234)%20Citizenship-Insurance%20Racket%20(aka-Political%20Racket).mp3 A corrupt ward politician, Joe Desmond, runs the scam, tricking naive immigrants into paying $100 for what … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, crime, editors, GreenHornet, journalism, newspaper crusades, Police, political corruption | 2 Comments

Soaps and Circulation

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Bob Stepno

An editor and “ace reporter” debated the news value and audience interest in a sensational murder case — versus coverage of the Korean War — in this December 1950 episode of “The Guiding Light” soap opera. http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/G%20Series/Guiding%20Light/The%20Guiding%20Light%2050-12-19%20Newspaper%20Has%20Story%20About%20Murder.MP3 Joe Roberts of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, courtroom, crime, ethics, Korea, newspapers, reporters, reporting, sensationalism, soap opera | Leave a comment

Reporting can be dangerous

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Bob Stepno

In this 1953 episode of the popular crime series “Mr. District Attorney,” a Daily Clarion reporter calls with news that he has uncovered a “Mister Big” crime boss. Gunshots heard over the phone and a visit to the newsroom by … Continue reading →

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Not Lois — it’s Margo Lane, reporter

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Bob Stepno

I’ve written in the past about the Shadow having his partner Margo Lane impersonate a reporter from time to time, but now I have found a Shadow episode in which Margo actually does take on a writing assignment. It’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, crime, Lois Lane, magazines, reporters, women | Leave a comment

Flood waters tempt newsman to murder

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Bob Stepno

https://archive.org/download/OTRR_Whistler_Singles/Whistler_48-09-29_ep329_Conspiracy.mp3 The Whistler episode Conspiracy. from Sept. 29, 1948, opens with a reporter reading a newspaper murder story in a diner, and speculating about the motivation of killers. Then he gets a call from his editor, sending him out into … Continue reading →

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Flying reporter & a woman in charge

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Bob Stepno

“What a story! Boy this is great!” — reporter Jimmy Gifford Here’s a mystery from 1932, the days when radio drama was relatively new, when flying the air mail was still an adventure, and so was newspaper reporting. The broadcast … Continue reading →

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A Risky Resolution to Start a Big Town New Year

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Bob Stepno

Begin with a murderous hood named “Silky,” add a stripper named “Bubbles,” and introduce crusading newspaper editor trying to help a cleaning woman’s son, and you have just a few of the cliches in this “Big Town” story, “The Dangerous … Continue reading →

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A dark “Christmas Holiday” on radio

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Bob Stepno

Despite the title, “Christmas Holiday” is no Santa-and-sleighbells yule feature, but a “film noir” drama with a newspaper reporter as a pivotal character: He starts out on the shady side, does a couple of favors for the lead characters, and … Continue reading →

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Reporters aren’t always heroes: Ask Laura

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Bob Stepno

Despite the title of this blog, not all newspapermen (or women) in radio’s popular culture portrayals were heroes, although I think they were generally played more favorably on radio than in Hollywood movies. But I’ve just added a 45th title … Continue reading →

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