Arts Wrap: Holt receives Murrow Award; BroadwayHD benefits WestCoast Entertainment

NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt received the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism from Washington State University on Tuesday. Saying how he wished he could have accepted the award in person, Holt joked that he wouldn’t be opposed to a ban on the word “virtual” in the future.

In his acceptance speech, Holt expressed admiration for Murrow College, saying, “I only wish I would’ve had the opportunity to attend a program such as yours.”

Holt dropped out of college in his junior year when a reporting job in San Fransisco presented itself. So, he said, most of his education came to him outside the classroom. But he cautioned students against following too closely in his footsteps.

“Such a path would be virtually impossible today,” Holt said. After 40 years in journalism, Holt had advice to share with Murrow College students.

“No. 1 is I think it’s become clearer that fairness is overrated,” Holt said. “The idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in.”

“Our duty is to be fair to the truth. Holding those in power accountable is at the core of our function and responsibility. We need to hear our leaders’ views, their policies and reasoning. It’s really important, but we have to stand ready to push back and call out falsehoods.”

When approaching sensitive subjects, he said it is more important to be respected than liked. “Remember this: Fact checking is not a vendetta or attack,” he said. “We all have a stake in us getting it right.”

In addition to NBC’s flagship nightly news broadcast, Holt serves as principal anchor on “Dateline NBC” and leads NBC News’ special reports, breaking news and primetime political coverage. To view the full speech, visit Murrow College’s YouTube channel.

BroadwayHD subscriptions support WestCoast Entertainment

Local musical theater fans now have the opportunity to support WestCoast Entertainment, presenter of the STCU Best of Broadway series, when subscribing to BroadwayHD. Subscriptions purchased using the link below will donate a portion of proceeds to WestCoast Entertainment.

“WestCoast Entertainment realizes there is no substitute for live theater,” the company said in a news release. “But until we can safely welcome Broadway back to the First Interstate Center for the Arts, we hope this offer provides individuals with an opportunity to enjoy the best of the arts.”

BroadwayHD is an online streaming service that offers hundreds of Broadway-related programs, including musicals, concerts and plays. BroadwayHD offers a 3-month subscription for $26.97, a 6-month subscription for $53.94 and a year for $99.99.

To purchase a BroadwayHD subscription, visit broadwayhd.com/p/best-of-broadway. BroadwayHD is available through the BroadwayHD app on iOS, Apple TV, Android and Roku.