On the surface, Good Night and Good Luck is about the Red Scare prevalent in the United States in the 1950s in which Americans lived in constant fear of the infiltration of the government by Communists. But, since this film was released in the early 2000s, it can be said that the underlying message of the movie is actually about the “terrorist scare” that was witnessed in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and is still very much felt to this day.
Senator Joseph McCarthy’s televised proclamations about known communists in the government and in Hollywood did what they were meant to do: instill fear into the American public. These claims, however, were not exactly justified because there was no real proof to back them up, but they were still widely believed anyway. Similarly, President George W. Bush and members of his cabinet made public claims about the confirmed existence of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, which also lacked in proof to back them up.
A country in fear is extremely gullible, and is even willing to give up certain freedoms in order to feel safe. In the 1950s, phone taps were widely used to track down “Commies.” After 9/11 the Patriot Act was passed, allowing the government to have access to people’s emails, phone conversations, and other records. Whether these methods are effective are debatable.
Yes, I do think that Edward R. Murrow would have been as successful today as he was in the 1950s, although he would need have used a few different methods. People today simply do not watch television as diligently as they did in the past because there are so many other forms of entertainment available, especially via the internet. In order to be heard, Murrow would need to adapt his message to these technologies.
Very good blog. I like your conclusion, but I would ask what methods ERM would have to employ to make his message heard by today's audience.
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