Broadcast journalist Harry Smith will receive this year’s Murrow Award

Washington State University has revealed the next recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award.

The university announced in a news release Wednesday the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication will honor award-winning broadcast journalist Harry Smith. He will receive the award during the 49th annual Murrow Symposium on April 2.

Smith’s five-decade career is distinguished by anchoring and reporting for CBS News, A&E, The History Channel and NBC News. He began working in radio before transitioning to public TV in Denver, Colo., in the late 1980s.

Work has taken Smith across the globe with reporting that ranges from presidential interviews to on-scene natural disaster coverage. He’s earned numerous accolades, including multiple Emmy awards.

“Smith’s longstanding practice of crafting stories of compassion and understanding resonates with audience members and makes him an outstanding and timely honoree,” Edward R. Murrow College of Communication Dean Bruce Pinkleton said in the news release.

Smith is currently a faculty member at Central College in Pella, Iowa.

The symposium is meant to introduce WSU students to journalism and strategic communication by connecting them with media industry leaders. This year’s theme is “Connected: Discovery Through Curiosity.”