Good Night, and Good Luck.

 Good Night and Good Luck is a film set during McCarthyism. It follows journalist Edward R. Murrow and his battle against the oppression and silencing of the press, specifically his battles with Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Edward R. Murrow

Murrow hosted the show See It Now, which focused on controversial issues in the 1950s. However, the show is best known for its willingness to criticize Mccarthyism and the Red Scare. It significantly contributed to Senator McCarthy's downfall if it wasn't the leading factor.
"Good Night, and Good Luck." got its name from Murrow's iconic closing line. He signed off every broadcast with that statement.

The movie begins with McCarthy on TV claiming that there are over 200 communists in the government and the news team discussing what they want to cover. Murrow decides he wants to go against the government and defend an Air Force member who is being tried because his father and sister had been accused of being communist sympathizers.

Senator McCarthy

Murrow's motivation to pursue that story comes from the fact that the charges against Milo Radulovich, the active service member, were in a sealed envelope, and no one knew its contents.

The next airing of See It Now included an interview with Radulovich, even though the military tried to intimidate Murrow out of it. The news team then focused on McCarthy, challenging his questioning techniques and the lies he spewed in hearings. Murrow had to pay for the newspaper advertising, as CBS wasn't allowing him to use its money.

During the program, which in real life was titled "A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy," Murrow used clips from the senator's speeches to point out where he contradicted himself, criticize him and challenge his questioning methods.

Murrow then publicly invited McCarthy to speak on the show uninterrupted so he could defend himself, which the senator did on April 6, 1954.

"Ordinarily, I would not take time from the important work to answer Murrow. However, in this case, I feel justified in doing so because Murrow is a symbol, a leader, and the cleverest of the jackal pack, which is always found at the throat of anyone who dares to expose individual Communists and traitors." - Senator Joseph McCarthy.

During his rebuttal segment, McCarthy accused Murrow of being a communist and a member of the Industrial Workers Of The World. At the time, this labor union was described as "revolutionary industrial unionism" and had ties to socialist, syndicalist, and anarchist labor movements.

Murrow expected these claims and denied both accusations in the following program. He pointed out that in the 30-minute segment, McCarthy had never once commented on Murrow's statements of fact. He also highlighted the fact that anyone who dared to speak against McCarthy immediately had a finger pointed at them in accusation.

After that, McCarthy was investigated.

Murrow is a journalism icon for a reason. His fame in the field comes from his hard-hitting broadcasts and refusal to shy away from the truth, even when his determination cost him his career. Regardless of what else he did, he will be remembered as the man who took down McCarthy.