Assing. # 15 "Good Night and Good Luck"

"Good Night and Good Luck" is a movie directed by George Clooney. The movie deals with the CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred W. Friendly who are trying to do a serious investigative journalism during the era of the Cold War. During that period Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin takes advantage of the paranoia that America may be overtaken by communists. McCarthy supported by the FBI of J. Edgar Hoover accuses many people for being communists. This turns into a witch hunt.

Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly's efforts against Senator McCarthy helped a FBI investigation to be started against McCarthy and his communist witch hunt. Even though that Morrow and Friendly's program demonstrates the power of the serious journalism, the program is moved to 04:00pm on Sundays because of people's demands to watch entertainment on television.

"Good Night and Good Luck" shows that journalism, if practiced as it is supposed to be practiced, could be truly the "fourth branch of government." Even though that Americans and the CBS owner experienced the power of the media, they betrayed this form of journalism for the commercial profits of the capitalist society. It is truly a shame that the American society gave up on the real journalism, because it proved that it could serve as a real social and political helper in a democratic society. Unfortunately, this form of journalism was "eaten" by commercial capitalism.