Erik Barnouw (June 23, 1908 – July 19, 2001) was an American historian of radio and television broadcasting. At the time of his death, Barnouw was widely considered to be America's most distinguished historian of broadcasting. Among his significant works are the textbook, 'Documentary: A History of the Non-Fiction Film', Oxford University Press, 1993, and the film 'Hiroshima Nagasaki August, 1945', 1970, which compiles footage shot shortly after the bombing by both Japanese and American cameramen.