The movie, Good Night, and Good Luck begins in 1958 at a dinner with many journalists, newsmen, and government officials. News reporter, Ed Murrow makes a speech at the dinner about how journalism has become filled with only good news and how it seems to be escaping from the real world. Guests at the dinner seemed surprised and uncomfortable by the statements.
As the movie flashes back to 1953, multiple news reporters, including Ed Murrow are in a room discussing what story to air in the upcoming show. Some people mention topics on Senator Joseph McCarthy, but these ideas were immediately declined due to the controversy surrounding McCarthy. Someone mentions a story about a Chicago air force officer who was charged and dismissed from the air force due to his father being communist or having communist ties. Many of the men were reluctant to air this story because of fear of backlash from McCarthy. The men decided to send a couple people to Chicago to get footage. Ed Murrow supports airing the story while many of the men are opposed. After the story aired, two colonels arrived at the office and interviewed a man for jeopardizing national security and interfering with the government.
Senator McCarthy was known to expose communism and exploit the fears of communism among the people. Ed Murrow and Fred Friendly challenged McCarthy and tried to bring him down by exposing him as an instiller of fear. Murrow and Friendly decide to directly attack McCarthy for attempting to accuse a woman who worked in the Pentagon Code Room of being a communist spy. The only evidence McCarthy had against this woman is that her name was on a communist mailing list, but she isn't the only person with that name. Murrow gave McCarthy a chance to defend himself on the show. McCarthy accepts the offer but uses his time to try and accuse Murrow of having communist ties.
The movie returns to the speech in 1958 that Murrow was presenting at the beginning of the movie. Morrow goes on to say that journalists are responsible for keeping the public informed, whether the news is pleasant or unpleasant.
Good Night, and Good Luck illustrated a true event that occurred between Senator Joseph McCarthy and Ed Murrow. While the process of exposing McCarthy for instilling fear among people took a toll on Murrow, he was successful in taking down one of the most controversial Senators in American History.
Sources:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.cea9f74d-c8b0-6412-3c61-c0a584dbe067?autoplay=1&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb
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