Journalism should never be underestimated. It is a flow of opinions through which one can gain his or her most important knowledge. Moreover, it gives not only positive knowledge, but also an opportunity to think critically, to analyze and to compare the material discussed in one or another article. So, when I am asked if a person was a potential model in the sphere of journalism, or not a model at all, I am not sure if we can come to a comprehensive and an explicit answer. Anyway, I am sure that Murray Kempton cannot be omitted while discussing the greatest contributors to world journalism and its inheritance.
A real New-Yorker, a columnist to the bottom of his heart, died in the age of 79. He has already become a true model, an example and an ideal for future generations who are sure to study and analyze his columns. We can find his best columns printed and published by The New York Post, New York Newsday, Esquire, The new York Review of Books and some more respectable newspapers and magazines.
I cannot but mention Kempton’s Pulitzer Prize winning. Being one of the most honorable and noble awards in the spheres of musical composition, literature and journalism, it has officially given to Murray Kempton a wide-known reputation of influential columnist, who has for sure become a model for both his colleagues and future generations of journalists. He won his award “for witty and insightful reflection on public issues in 1984 and throughout a distinguished career” (Nndb.com). One should never stop on what is done, and definitely should always proceed with one’s intentions and plans. As far as only devoted and dedicated efforts and work can bring its author recognition and prominence.
Of course, there were some more prizes won by Kempton. These included among others the Long Island University's George Polk Memorial Awards and the Meyer Berger Award of Columbia University. As one may make a conclusion, only trustworthy columns are able to earn a journalist such fame, recognition and acknowledgement. So were the works of Murray Kempton.
I would like to proceed now with Kempton’s most distinguishing and differentiating features of character, and main traits of him as a professional journalist. To start with, Murray Kempton has never ended up with being just a “simple” journalist or columnist. He has always proclaimed the importance of remaining a reporter. Kempton was absolutely sure, that a three-speed bicycle would be the best and the only solution for a columnist to remain a reporter. The thing is that this type of transport is the fastest to take you to the accident, to court proceedings, traffic accidents, and funerals, and to speeches by people who either were or wanted to be rich and famous (SEVERO). Example of Murray Kempton’s outstanding career can give us a hint, that a successful columnist should probably write about literally everything! About novelists, presidents, common people, musicians Then one should thorougly check, filter and drain the gathered material, composing it into a well-balanced column to be published.
What distinguishes his professional carreer as well is his passion to writing, as I have already said above, about every little thing which could have probably caught an attention of an ordinary reader. He was a voracious (Baltimoreauthors.ubalt.edu) writer. Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Room contains as one of the rarest and most valuable books his gift of articles. The latter encompasses over 11,000 (!) of columns, published at different times in the New York Post, the Newsday, and also some work written by Murray Kempton for The New Republic and the New York Review of Books. So the variety of day-to-day topics, social issues, political events, sports, labor and the array of other questions were considered and thoroughly covered in the works of Kempton.
What is more, Kempton has never been satisfied with his writings. That gave me a thought, that he was just trying to reflect the current concerns and problematic issues. To be more exact, he was writing not in order to gain popularity, but to honestly share his ideas with the people, expose them to the public judgement and criticism, etc. That is why, I guess, his honest will to disseminate his views has gained so much approval among people over 30 years old, who were not sure what to believe in during that stressful times of the 60s (Baltimoreauthors.ubalt.edu).
What factors drove Kempton to journalism? If we dwell on this fundamental question, I suppose we should as well remind ourselves about his biography, starting from his early childhood. I have found the information, that Murray Kempton, when a teenager, used to work as a copyboy at The Baltimore Evivning Sun newspaper office as his first job. His job was to literally carry copies around the office, but we can suppose, that this atmosphere, these people and their working process had a great impact on Kempton. Future famous columnist has later entered the John Hopkins University in 1935, and has at the same time has firstly worked as an arlicle writer, and later as an editor-in-chief at the Johns Hopkins News-Letter in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was born. We see that this student newsparer was a kind of continuation to his previous experience. So we can make a conclusion at this moment, that the intention and the will to write professionally was born in the early childhood, and has been carefully cultivated through the means of the mass media, particulary newspapers.
Furthermore, the time of his career coincided with the times, when the United States were concerned with great political decisions which were to be taken. He was seen as a hero, as a source of motivaiton for people fighting against the war in Vietnam. Kempton has also been a solid ground for civil rights opponents “at home”, in the United States(Owen). He turned out to be a model not only in the world of literature and journalism. People also found in him an endless flow of support. Notably, due to Kempton’s more or less constant and unchangeable political views, which is always needed in such times. This columnist was valued as a person not afraid to highlight bribery and discrimination. He has once been called by David Owen “a tireless persecutor of the corrupt and unjust” (Owen).
Murray Kempton has never given a definite answer to questions concerning his willingness to work for newspapers, and reasons uderlying that, if there were any. The only thing he has never stopped repeating was the fraternity that hovers around journalists wherever they meet. He also stated for a few times, that being a columnist allows you to get paid just as much as you need to live happily. This was the concept of perfect life and a perfect everyday schedule for Kempton.
If we now start making conclusions on Murray Kempton’s professional career, his contribution to the world’s treasury of literature and journalism, it will be difficult to overestimate the role of this newspaper columnist. To my mind, many more generations of journalists, columnists and reporters will study his works as an example of devoted alacrity to create and share one’s opinions and way of thinking with the large audience. For many people who worked together with him, for masses of students admiring him and trying to do everything just the way Kempton did, he was usually associated with a simple man sitting under a cloud of pipe smoke, listening to his favorite music in his earphones, typing his another column (Duggan).
Murray Kempton still had an unrealized goal, which has eluded him. The name of the desired award was the Meyer Berger Award. The roots of the name can be traced to one of the greatest columnists working for New York Times ever. On one of the luncheons Kempton complained that he has never won the Berger. One of the guests sitting next to him exclaimed and reminded him, that he has just won the Pulitzer! Here is what Kempton said in reply: “The Pulitzer is named for a publisher. The Meyer Berger is named for a reporter.”. A man can never be fully satisfied with his intentions, but we can surely say nowadays, that Murray Kempton has exaggerated his faults, and that he has, for sure, become one of the most memorable and influential columnists in the history of the United States.
Works cited
Baltimoreauthors.ubalt.edu,. "Murray Kempton". N.p., 2016. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
Duggan, Dennis. "Murray Kempton: Journalist Of Sacred Rage |". Silurians.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
Owen, David. "» BGS: The Best-Kept Secret In American Journalism Is Murray Kempton Bronx Banter". Bronxbanterblog.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
SEVERO, RICHARD. "Murray Kempton, 79, A Newspaperman Of Honor And Elegant Vinegar, Is Dead". Nytimes.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.
