Good Night and Good Luck is a 2005 drama/historical film written, produced, and directed by George Clooney. The film takes place in the 1950s centered around Senator Joseph McCarthy in Wisconsin when a threat of Communism begins to cause citizens of the United States to feel paranoid, and the Senator was exploiting that fear and paranoia. CBS News reporter Edward R. Murrow, played by Academy Award Nominee David Strathairn, along with his producer Fred W. Friendly played by Academy Award Winner George Clooney, make the decision to take a stand against Senator McCarthy. Their plan was to expose him for all the fear and hysteria he has caused, but both men soon discover that their actions take a great toll on them personally along with those around them. The men still decide to stand by their initial position and convictions which helped them take down arguably one of the most controversial senators in American History.
The writing along with the strong performances help showcase how influential the press and news media really can be along with things being reported only to better someone else and not for the good of "journalism". A lot of times politics is also a strong factor pushing/swaying certain decisions made which can also be seen throughout the movie. Seeing how people within the industry of journalism are worrying for their sake and those around them was truly sad to see all the while watching the Senator make decisions for his personal gain was horrific but also realistic. This does a good job of showcasing ethical reasoning for decision making because Murrow and Friendly just wanted people to know the truth and not to be worried, unfortunately, some consequences follow that but they were determined to do the right thing and let the people know the truth.
McCarthy was not concerned about other people, he was focused on himself which caused him to lie to the public for personal gain. He exploited the idea of communism to have Americans trust in him and put their faith in him. The only thing he ended up doing though was causing Americans to be even more stressed and concerned which made knowing the truth all the more important. I still find it fascinating and quite humbling to see how Murrow and Friendly were willing to put a lot on the line to do the right thing.
I personally enjoyed the film quite a bit and plan to watch it again because I feel that it holds up very well and relates well to today's time. The film takes place in the 50s, but it is still so relevant to some of the ways the media and press operate now. Doing the right thing is a lot of times an afterthought now, and a lot of people do things for their personal gain just as the senator did. With the integration of technology and all those advancements, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the truth and lies because almost anyone can write, post, and say just about anything. I find that amazing/fascinating and serves as a nice warning for everyone within our society.
Something that crossed my mind while watching this movie was the idea of "muckraker" which are any group of American writers that identified with pre-World War I and expose literature. They would always make sure what they were reporting/writing was accurate and provided detailed accounts of economic and political corruption along with social hardships mostly caused by higher-ups within the United States. I feel that this goes hand in hand with what Murrow and Friendly were doing, obviously not to the same degree as World War 1, but with a severe political issue.
As a journalism major, I found the film very intriguing and was inspired by Murrow specifically, and I hope that other aspiring journalists or even established ones were also inspired by his actions within the film. Going back to our own society today and the use of social media and technology with how news is spread, I think it's important to remember how easy it is for other people to post, write, and put out whatever they want regardless of it being true or not for their own personal reasons. This film does a good job of serving as a reminder of how crucial it is to double-check information before reading into it and freaking out, while also remembering how important being honest and ethical is not only as a journalist but as a basic human being.
Sources: https://www.npr.org/2005/10/07/4949041/good-night-and-good-luck-murrow-vs-mccarthy
https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/mar/30/ggod-night-and-good-luck-george-clooney-edward-murrow-reel-history
https://www.britannica.com/topic/muckraker
