Category Archives: Uncategorized

Newshounds & that Hornet buzz

Posted on October 9, 2025 by Bob Stepno

Back in 1939, The Green Hornet fought crime by tricking crooks into giving themselves away, but his radio series was also giving away snapshots of the lives of newspaper reporters. The staff of The Daily Sentinel worked for Britt Reid, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, adventure, GreenHornet, Police, Uncategorized | Tagged 1930s, reporters | Leave a comment

Reporter calls it heartbreak

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Bob Stepno

https://archive.org/download/T5project/Theater%20Five%20650115%20120%20The%20Trophy%20VLQ.mp3 Reporters weren’t a regular feature of Theater Five … but a project aimed updating the archived copies of this 1964-1965 ABC Radio series has me listening for newspapers and newsies. I also listen for references to the “newspaper habit” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s, newspaper readers, newspapers, photographer, reporters, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Reporter as frame

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Bob Stepno

I will come back to say more about this program, but I think it is worth listening to as an example of a radio storytelling technique that uses a fictional magazine or newspaper reporter as a “wrapper” or frame to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, civil rights, Drama, journalism, New York City, Race, reporters, stereotypes, true stories, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

“Front Page Farrell” wasn’t front page news on D-Day

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Bob Stepno

On D-Day, one of America’s most famous reporters, Front Page Farrell, was not involved in the war coverage at all… But, of course, Dave Farrell was fictional. Still, his June 7, 1944, episode above has hints of America’s mood on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Europe, radio, reporters, soap opera, Uncategorized, World War II | Leave a comment

Liz Lane, not Lois….

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Bob Stepno

“I haven’t got a farm; I haven’t even got a windowbox,” the magazine columnist admits, when she realizes her habit of spinning fables about country living may destroy her career — just in time for the holidays. I wrote this … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, adaptations, ethics, magazines, movies, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Case of Exploding Dolls

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Bob Stepno

The opening episode of this six-part Superman story from 1940 shows reporters Kent and Lane on assignment, tracking down a fatal industrial explosion at an unlikely place — a doll factory. Hans Honin’s Doll Factory, episode one Hans Honin’s Doll … Continue reading →

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

Will reporter uncover secret plans?

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Bob Stepno

https://archive.org/download/OTRR_Lux_Radio_Theater_Singles/Lux_Radio_Theatre_43-04-26_393_The_Lady_Has_Plans.mp3 “The Lady Has Plans” has World War II’s favorite pinup Rita Hayworth (so described by host Cecil B. DeMille) in the role of a veteran newspaper reporter making a transition to radio news in Lisbon, and William Powell as … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, foreign correspondents, international, radio, reporters, Uncategorized, women, World War II | Leave a comment

A final page, but no news

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Bob Stepno

https://archive.org/download/OTRR_New_Adventures_of_Nero_Wolfe_Singles/nanw_51-03-23_ep22_The_Final_Page.mp3 In my search for radio portrayals of journalists, “The Final Page” was the most promising title in a collection of New Adventures of Nero Wolfe episodes. Unfortunately, the page mentioned in the title is from a novel, not a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, detectives, Drama, propaganda, public relations, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Lois knows… until she talks to her editor

Posted on February 17, 2019 by Bob Stepno

https://archive.org/download/Superman_page13/471024_1601_The_Ruler_Of_Darkness_Pt_01.mp3 For today, a very short blog post with a link to some newsroom banter between Lois, Clark and editor Perry White when Lois has a brainstorm about — silly idea — Kent being Superman’s secret identity. “Oh stop this … Continue reading →

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Associated Press on the air

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Bob Stepno

“Behind the Mic,” a radio series whose message was to demystify the medium itself, devoted its June 29, 1941, episode to the Associated Press, the newspaper co-op that had gradually come around to the idea of radio news. https://archive.org/download/Behind_The_Mike/Behind_The_Mike_41-06-29_ep41_The_Associated_Press.mp3 The … Continue reading →