Throughout his ministry of sharing the Gospel around the world, Billy Graham was acutely aware of the role of the media in expanding the reach of his message. In fact, the mission statement of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association includes the following:

… proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to all we can by every effective means available to us …

Graham’s early rise to national recognition was in part due to William Randolph Hearst’s telegram to his publications to “Puff Graham” during the 1949 Los Angeles Crusade. This meant the media mogul was giving the signal to make the story of Billy Graham’s evangelistic outreach a headline placement in the many print publications Hearst owned. This prompted the campaign—originally scheduled for three weeks—to extend to an eight-week run.

Beyond newspapers, Graham was early to adopt the use of radio, television and film—and in later years the internet—as these new technologies emerged.

When you take The Journey of Faith tour at the Billy Graham Library, spend time in the My Answer: Billy Graham and the Media theater to see highlights of many of these milestones. A few of the featured interview (of the thousands that Rev. Graham gave through the years) include the Jack Parr Show, The Woody Allen Special, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Phil Donahue Show, ABC News 20/20, and CNN’s Larry King Live. You can also watch a few of these interviews and others below.

Billy Graham with Larry King, Larry King Live, 1998

Billy Graham on the Johnny Cash Show at the Grand Ole Opry

In the same way Billy Graham used media and technology to reach more people with the truth of God’s Word, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association continues to share the hope of the Gospel around the world through various mediums. You can learn more by visiting the Billy Graham Library or at billygraham.org.