The documentary introduces the life and award-winning work of CBS News correspondent and former School of Journalism professor Frank M. Kearns. In the 1950s, ‘60s and early ‘70s, Kearns was the “go-to guy” at CBS News for dangerous stories in Africa and the Middle East. He returned to his alma mater in 1971 to teach at West Virginia University’s School of Journalism. He was named the distinguished Benedum Professor of Journalism, a position he held until 1983. During that time, a former CBS news executive told Congress that Kearns also worked for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency while he was reporting for CBS in the 1950s. Kearns denied this accusation until his death from cancer in 1986.
Kearns won numerous awards during his 17-year career at CBS. He risked his life doing his job in places rife with conflict and cheated death more than 100 times. Like modern reporters in Libya and Syria, Kearns secretly traveled with insurgents in the Middle East to report on their loyalties and goals. His dangerous “embedding” in Algeria in 1957 revealed to the world that the insurgents were nationalists and not communists, and his reporting from Cairo during the Pro-Arab movement helped clarify President Gamel Abdel Nasser’s position between the West and the Soviet Union. Reporting on Kearns’ death, Dan Rather described him as quiet, courageous, and a legend. “Frank Kearns: American Correspondent” brings this legend to life and explores a past that is still mysterious to many. The documentary aired on select PBS stations nationwide this past spring. It won a regional Emmy this year. The documentary was produced with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, and the WVU School of Journalism.