Goodnight and Good Luck

         “Goodnight and Good Luck” was a really great movie that I found very enlightening on what it must have been like to work in the media industry during the red scare. “Goodnight and Good Luck” is a film about CBS-TV and how the producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney) begins to air stories about Senator McCarthy who is running his campaign to rid the US of communists. News reporter, Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) takes it upon himself to expose the “investigation” McCarthy is leading. 

The story shows the dedication of the news team to share the truth and uncover any injustice the senator may be committing. I really liked the subplot about Shirley and Joe Wershba who had to hide the fact that they were married in order to be able to work at the news station. Their banter throughout the film is hilarious and a nice break from the more serious tone of the film. 

As the station continues to air their investigation of the senator’s campaign, the heads of the company continually become more aggravated at the producer and decide to give the channel less air time on an hour that people don’t watch much tv. They were trying to censor the press’s voice but Friendly refused to give in. He continues to make segments on the show about the senator and the reported rise of communism in the US. The reporter himself is then accused of being connected to communism in some way and their attempt to stop the mass hysteria of no one being trustworthy is extinguished. However, the fight continues and the channel is finally recognised for revealing the truth everyone has been searching for. 

This movie is very powerful as it has shown the importance of reporting and how seeking for truth is a right that no reporter should be denied. It also shows the importance of being a station that is not willing to compromise for better viewership or to please a certain political party. It is the station’s duty to inform the public in an unbiased manner and to seek the truth above all else. Although the title of the film is never explained, it is obvious that Murrow’s catchphrase after every show means something. I believe that goodnight and good luck means to be aware of all the different sources in which you find your information and good luck in your pursuit of the truth because there's a lot of misleading reports out there. I may be reading in between the lines a lot but within the context of the film it makes more sense. This was a really great movie that was very informative about being informed.