Good Night, and Good Luck

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) tells the story of Edward R Murrow, a pioneer of American broadcast journalism. In 1954 Murrow showed the American public his dedication to reporting truthful news. Despite being strongly urged to reconsider his stand, Murrow put his career on the line when he chose to air a television series exposing Senator McCarthy during the Red Scare of the 1950s.

Murrow’s story exemplifies many of the journalistic principles that authors Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel explore in their book, The Elements of Journalism. During the Red Scare Murrow could have been obligated to his own reputation as other journalists were. Many reporters were not willing to expose McCarthy because they were afraid of being pegged as communists. Murrow however, was not afraid. In the words of Kovach and Rosentiel his first obligation was to the truth. Murrow worked diligently to collect and bring to light hidden facts about McCarthy so that citizens could know the truth and act on it.

The Elements of Journalism also highlights the importance of loyalty to citizens. Murrow was fearlessly dedicated to telling citizen’s stories. During the Red Scare, Senator McCarthy accused over 200 people of being communist infiltrators. When Murrow’s editor said there wasn’t much to write about in response to McCarthy’s behavior, Murrow did not back down. He told citizens stories when other reporters did not.

In telling the public’s stories Murrow demonstrated another element of journalism, providing a voice to the voiceless. He told the story of an Irish man from Michigan who was kicked out of the air force because his father read a Serbian newspaper. The man was not provided a fair trial and was told that if he wanted to keep his job he had to denounce his family. Murrow was so set on covering this story that he was willing to pay for the ads for permission to write it.

By providing a voice to the voiceless Murrow also served as a monitor of power. When he chose to cover the story of the man from Michigan, Murrow showed McCarthy that he didn’t have the authority to accuse whoever he wanted to of being communist and that there would be consequences for his actions. Murrow used his news show to make the corrupt actions of the government more transparent to the American public.

Edward Murrow and his colleagues were dedicated to providing citizens with more than just facts. His truthful reporting, loyalty to citizens, and perseverance helped him succeed in bringing down McCarthy and made him a highly esteemed reporter with his own exhibit at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.