The Importance Of Edward Murrow In Good Night And Good Luck

Although prosperity filled the 50s, controversy and dissatisfaction surrounded it also. As the picture "Senator McCarthy Extinguishes the Torch of Liberty" conveys, McCarthyism hushed the freedom of speech. (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey A127)The man who gave McCarthyism a name, Joseph McCarthy, ruined many lives by accusing tons of Americas of being Communists for about 5 years. The post-cold war paranoia about spies and infiltrates in the American government escalated the allegations to a whole other level, despite the lack of evidence. Many people lost their jobs, went to jail, or became shunned by the public. Senator McCarthy conducted countless numbers of speeches, investigations, and hearings. His actions proved to be so terrifying that very few spoke out against him. Only when taking the claims to the military did the people finally take a stand. Weeks afterward, the Senate condemned McCarthy for “practicing conduct unfit for a member.”

In the 1970s, the Nixon Administration waged an all-out war on the news media because of their critical coverage. He accused CBS diplomatic correspondent Marvin Kalb of being a communist (Pach 556) and advised his aides against giving useful information to journalists stating “don’t help the bastards ever because they’re trying to stick the knife right in our groin” (Pach 559).

The Movie “good night good luck” is incredibly historically accurate. The Movie uses authentic clips that show McCarthy and many speeches Murrow used. World War ended in 1945 leaving a broken Europe and a communist block behind. The United States quickly receded back to the red scare that had existed before WWII. The United States quickly set an anti-communist stance and prepared for a war against the communists. While the war never came some enterprising individuals placed themselves in powerful positions using the paranoia created. Among these individuals one came forward and began one of the most controversial historical programs. Joe McCarthy a nobody Wisconsin’s junior senator made his name when he gave a speech claiming his

During the time of the “Red Scare” McCarthy stated that he “loved to manipulate people,” (Oakley 207). He was able to “swagger” in the meeting and he knew that he could stir up “turmoil and confusion” at a moment’s notice. Once

For example, Edward R. Murrow catches Senator Tom McCarthy lying about there being proof of a Naval pilot (Milo Radulovich) having communist connections. Murrow then broadcasts a CBS show to call out Senator McCarthy for his wrongdoings. However, this backfires because McCarthy falsely accused him, and his employees, of being so-called communists. In his response to the show McCarthy states, “And I am compelled by the facts to say to you that Mr. Edward R. Murrow, as far back as twenty years ago, was engaged in propaganda for Communist causes” (Good Night and Good Luck). Although Murrow was not engaged in propaganda for Communists, it points out that McCarthy is willing to falsely accuse Murrow of digging out the truth behind

In Good Night and Good Luck why was McCarthy accusing everyone who opposed him of communism? Was he doing it for publicity? Why was the director making the characters smoke when they don't like smoking? Was it to help get his vision across. The usage of actual

As I sat in my apartment and waited for my guest I opened up my laptop to skim my notes. Edward R. Murrow, radio broadcast legend and American hero. This man survived London during World War II and now he’s coming over to my house for an interview. So many thoughts circled my head while I waited. What questions will I ask? How will he answer? Will I be able to use this interview at all? I kept frantically flipping through my notes when I heard a knock at the door.

His accusations generated national interest and gained him a significant amount of fame, or rather, infamy. However, it was later found out that the piece of paper he’d been holding during that speech had merely been his laundry receipt (Bates). Even so, McCarthy was already well on his way to becoming one of the most notable communist “hunters” in U.S. history.

The film “Good Night, and Good Luck” portrays and exemplifies the story between Senator Joseph McCarthy and the CBS news reporter Edward R. Murrow. Within this movie, it reveals and demonstrates the governmental issues, in the actions of Senator Joseph McCarthy. It also shows the effects his actions and decisions had on society and the film focuses on would be firstly, the role and power media plays within politics, beliefs, communism, and the government. It also shows the way government often takes advantage of their power and they use that power to control humanistic liberties. Within the actions of senator Joseph McCarthy, it is tremendously obvious that McCarthy’s indifference and disregards for civilian’s civil rights and treats

Edward Murrow broke the realism about McCarthy on the evening of March 9, 1954, by sharing video footage that shown that the Senator was up to no good, and was abusing his political power to do so. Murrow and co-editor Fred Friendly gave controversial information on the man and his shenanigans. In turn, the realization of what Senator McCarthy was truly about, and the evidence that Murrow presented in a live broadcast, eventually

Even though he may seem outspoken in his approach, Murrow proves a valid point as he reveals the error in McCarthy’s thinking as he falsely accuses Radulovich of being a Communist. Due to lack of solid evidence, McCarthy has no stance while accusing Radulovich. Though his sister’s political leanings suggest Communism, Radulovich can only speak for himself and not his sister. (Clooney) Labeling Radulovich a communist, solely based on his family’s alliances is synonymous with claiming that Murrow is a Communist due to his membership in a leftist union. It seems like McCarthy is on a “witch-hunt” of sorts, out to call out anyone who goes against the government or spoke ill of government practices. McCarthy orders the interrogation of Pentagon communication worker Annie Lee Moss, solely based on her name appearing on a blacklist.

Whilst, towards the beginning of the war, the media being released was largely in support of the war efforts, later years of the conflict exhibited a more negative press, where more negative portrayals of troops were being sent home and featured on the news. Bias of the media played a large part in moulding public opinion of the conflict going on in Vietnam, exemplified in media reports of the Tet Offensive which, “was actually a U.S victory because the North suffered enormous casualties. Television, however, portrayed the attack as a brutal defeat for the U.S” (McLaughlin 2015, The Turning Point, para. 2). As hypothesised by David Halberstam, Vietnam was, “the first time in American history a war had been declared over by an anchor man,” (Hallin n.d., para. 9) when Walter Cronkite, “[expressed] his view that the war was unwinnable, and that the United States would have to find a way out.” (Hallin n.d., para. 9) Many speculations about the media defining public opinion about the war are made largely due to the fact that civilian opinion changed as media reports began to become more negative, which then lead to many anti-war protests and the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam. Due to the negative effects the lack of censorship had on the public during Vietnam, the government recognised the power of the media and changed censorship practices for following

Murrow continues his speech to elaborate on the power of broadcast journalism. Murrow explains that the television is a platform to educate and inform the public. It is a place for debating and questioning the status quo. Yet, it is being used for entertainment and mundaneness.

Joseph McCarthy, the notorious US senator who causes the McCarthyism era in the 1940s to the 1960s to arise, deceives the American people to lose trust with each other because of suspicion of Communism. McCarthy does not have a really great reputation before following the route of corruption. He simply over exaggerates the growing tension of Communism credits from President Harry Truman’s speech. His reign continues to grow until, “In early 1954 he opened hearings investigating the promotion of an Army dentist, Irving Peress, who was suspected of being a Communist. The Army-McCarthy hearings were televised and made for grand theater as McCarthy sparred with the Army's counsel Joseph Welch” (Capps). Joseph McCarthy is an arrogant and an overconfident man who thinks he can win every court cases until the very end. He believes that whatever

While political issues like these were slowly demoralising the soldiers fighting the war, the media were still telling a heavily rose-coloured version of the ‘truth’. When the television images were shown in America before 1968, the editors had policies about what to show: More specifically, there were guidelines that were designed to