Category Archives: editors

News Meets Blues

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Bob Stepno

“Hurry up, newsman, get on with the fight, Or Johnny dies with me before daylight.” That’s the unmistakable voice of blues singer Josh White, added to the cast of “Big Town,” the adventures of fighting editor Steve Wilson, for this … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Drama, editors, journalism | Leave a comment

Fighting slavery with a newspaper

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Bob Stepno

The long-running Jewish Theological Seminary radio series “The Eternal Light” usually drew from an older text, but it did feature a crusading newspaper in at least one episode, “The Rabbi with Ink-Stained Hands,” which the inspirational-drama program broadcast more than … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 19th century, editors, historical figures, publishers | Leave a comment

Clark Kent’s Nuclear Meltdown

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Bob Stepno

There isn’t a lot of journalism in the epic 39-part Atom Man vs. Superman radio story, but it did provide a glimpse of employee relations at the Daily Planet — when Clark Kent was twice suspected of having a mental … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Clark Kent, editors, Lois Lane, Perry White, reporting, Superman, World War II | Leave a comment

Reporter had spunk, but soup-opera didn’t last long

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Bob Stepno

Jane Endicott, Reporter — premiere, January 5, 1942: https://ia600201.us.archive.org/7/items/Singles_And_Doubles_Singles_A-C/42-01-05xxxJaneEndicottReporter.mp3 I’ve had this short-lived series tucked away on my “Soaps and Romance” page, although these adventures of a young woman reporter are not a typical soap-opera or romance series with cliff-hanger … Continue reading →

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A young reporter’s ethical growing pains

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Bob Stepno

Listening to more of Mickey Rooney’s unsuccessful “Shorty Bell” series from 1948 — after reading obituaries and tributes to him this week — I can’t help wondering what the audience wanted from his radio newspaper-journalism vehicle: A lighter family-friendly “Andy … Continue reading →

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Little Orphan Annie in the newsroom

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Bob Stepno

Popular radio series characters of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s often visited or were visited by newspaper reporters and editors. Little Orphan Annie, decades before her Broadway debut, paid a visit to a local editor on the occasion of her … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, adventure, children, comics, editors, local news | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in 1940s, crime, editors, World War II | Leave a comment

A Christmas story – Superman versus the Nielsen racket

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Bob Stepno

December 1946 — The bad guy in this Superman story isn’t threatening the world, but he could cost Clark Kent his job, and right before Christmas too! Yes, as the headline above suggests, the villain is a racketeer named Nielsen, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, comics, editors, Jimmy Olsen, journalism, newspaper crusades, newspapers, Perry White, reporting, Superman, World War II | Leave a comment

Warming up with June Bride

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Bob Stepno

Here two radio adaptations of a snow-flaky romantic comedy called “June Bride,” about a magazine team trying to get a wedding feature written in a midwestern winter so that it will be set in type to greet spring readers. The … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, adaptations, comedy, editors, foreign correspondents, magazines, romance, women | Leave a comment

Superman reboots… and Lois suffers?

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Bob Stepno

With the new “Man of Steel” movie opening today, I have to point out that the keepers of the Superman flame have seen fit to “reboot” the storyline many times in its history, and the role of journalism in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, editors, Lois Lane, Perry White, Superman | Leave a comment