Goodnight and Goodluck.....

To individuals who were around in the 1950’s the phrase, “Goodnight and Good Luck” rings a bell. The CBS reporter, Edward R. Murrow, used the signature phrase. Murrow was a reporter who defied the rules placed on journalism and television broadcasting. He was responsible for the end of McCarthyism by exposing senator McCarthy for his unjust accusations on individuals as communists.

The movie, “Goodnight and Good Luck” was a movie release in 2005. The movie, which accurately portrayed the events that occurred in the 1950’s, leaves us with the question of why now? Why in 2005, did George Clooney decide to write and direct a movie based on events from all the way back in 1950?

I think that one of main reasons is because it’s relevant. In the 1950’s there was a huge commotion about communists and everyone was scared that their next-door neighbor was an involved in a communist group. Today, the scare is that, this person or that person over there is terrorist. Much like the people who lived in the 1950’s, we live in a society of fear. Whether negatively or positively we are driven and swayed by our fear and that is what causes us to question everything and everyone around us. We allow ourselves to overlook vital and even obvious details and jump to conclusions on who someone is based on association or speculation.

Another reason that this movie is relevant is because of the level of censorship that occurred and is occurring both now and today. In the movie, there were several instances where Murrow was “strongly advised” or even told not to report certain details or matters. Today, I feel as if that is happening all around us. With the war going on in Iraq we are only given information and images that are previously approved by government. While it may be in the government’s or news corporations best intentions or even in their interest to select information, it seems to be that there is always someone somewhere high up the chain who gets to decide what common individuals, like you and I get to know.