Brennan Good Night and Good Luck

I think Edward R. Murrow would be successful in today's media simply because he focused on a scandal unfolding in the United States. All Americans, no matter what they say, are interested in some kind of scandal, whether it be political or for entertainment purposes. Edward R. Murrow's tactics for publicly criticizing McCarthy made his show successful. His strong dedication towards this investigation allowed him to become one of the most prestigious and well-respected newscasters of all time.

His unruly, hard-headed attitude is why Americans liked him so much. He didn't follow the rules presented to him. He worked around those rules to create something so interesting and entertaining, yet also informative at the same time. He took control and never let his superiors ruin his chance of success.

I think his broadcast would bring in millions of viewers simply because it was a once a week show. If a story is showed every day of the week, it becomes boring and uneventful. His once a week slot allowed him, and would allow him today, to have a more successful rating and audience following.

Americans are always looking for a scandal and are always hoping someone will be brave enough to uncover and investigate that scandal. Edward R. Murrow was that individual. He had the guts to investigate one of the biggest scandals in American political history. Everyone sat around and watched or listened to his show, just like we watch and listen to Perez Hilton or entertainment tonight. I am not comparing Murrow's program to these shows, but these shows do have influence over our media involvement. Murrow's educated, gutsy tactics allowed him to be successful then, and I think his success would continue into today's society.