NBC News correspondent and word police Edwin Newman dies

TV correspondent Edwin Newman dies

NEW YORK — NBC News says its longtime correspondent and language cop Edwin Newman has died. He was 91.

Newman did political and foreign reporting on various NBC News programs during 34 years with the network, which ended with his retirement in 1984. He also had a side career as the author of the best sellers “Strictly Speaking” and “A Civil Tongue,” which dealt with the proper use of the language.

He hosted a series called “Speaking Freely” with hourlong conversations with notables in many fields.

After his retirement, Newman portrayed himself on various television programs, including a “Saturday Night Live” skit where he manned a suicide hot line and kept correcting a caller’s grammar.