Free Republic

The movie "Good Night and Good Luck" enshrines with a vengeance the myth that the late Edward R. Murrow was a White Knight who came to the rescue of an America engulfed in fear and hysteria, thanks to Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and his investigations of Communist influence (in and out of government) in the United States. The fact is that, far from making "wild accusations," McCarthy really didn't know the half of it. Information from Soviet archives and the "Venona (military decripts), publicized after the fall of the Soviet Union, clearly showed that the U.S. government and many of...

The movie "Good Night and Good Luck" is a classic case of the winners writing "History" at the expense of the losers. There is no question that in the public relations battle over the issue of Communist infiltration in the United States, Edward R. Murrow won and Senator Joseph R. McCarthy lost. A skilled television performer with a wide audience can succeed in demonizing anyone, and Murrow had that advantage which far surpassed that of any United States Senator. The whole clash came to a head just as television was beginning to emerge from its infancy. With his 5 o'clock...