Analysis of Murrow vs. McCarthy

546 Words2 Pages

The film, “Murrow vs. McCarthy” had introduced the development of news media and at the same time, in-depth telling the social political, economic and cultural changes in United States during the cold war. After World War II, the shadow of the war have not disappeared, the cold war atmosphere shrouded in the American’s minds. The United States was not only afraid of Soviet attack, but that dissidents will penetrate into the government to overthrow the current rule. The film had showed the conflict between television journalist Edward Murrow and the United States senator in the states of Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy. Edward Murrow through his nightly news program "See It Now" to expose the scrutiny and criticism of McCarthy’s “red scare.” Murrow and his colleagues caused by the actions of a great disturbance at the time, and became the United States history of most according to the legendary moment. Joseph McCarthy, a Republican senator from Wisconsin, announced that he owned a list of Communist who served at State Department during his Wheeling speech at West Virginia. Joseph McCa...

Show More
Related

  • Edward R. Murrow: A Brief Film Analysis

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    Murrow held on October 25, 1958 followed with a speech from him on the stage. The movie flashbacks to Murrow’s life as a journalist and the efforts made in his television program, See It Now. It provided insight into the issues that occurred inside the CBS News building such as the decisions that Murrow bypassed by his Chief, William S. Paley. In addition, the screen paused to provide information that read: “Throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s America was overwhelmed with concerns about the threat of communism. Senator Joseph McCarthy made a public accusation that more than two hundred ‘card-carrying’ communists had infiltrated the United States government. Few in the press were willing to stand up against McCarthy for fear they would be targets (SITE MOVIE).” This showed background information how the fear of communism was a big issue in the 1940’s and 1950’s. In addition, the movie included many visual references to the issue of communism from previous recordings that show how McCarthy acts and what he says about

    Read More

  • American History Judith Ortiz Cofer

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are similarities and differences in how the authors of “American History” and “ TV Coverage of JFK’s Death Forged Mediums’ Role” use Kennedy’s assassination in their writing.

    Read More

  • The Venona Project

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...y Wheeling speech created nationwide hysteria, and with its impeccable timing just days after the conviction of the State Official Alga Hiss for lying under oath about his association with the communist Soviet as a spy, fueled the fight on communism. (citation) McCarthy war on communism during the “Second Red Scare” did not leave any individual safe from accusations. He attacked government agents, entertainment industry workers, educators, union members, and alienated the left-wing Democrats. McCarthy helped to create the atmosphere of suspicion and panic with his growth in media coverage. McCarthy’s words made for big headlines and the media was quick to cover his stories. This exposure helped facilitate American approval of McCarthy and empowered him to make more accusations on those suspected of subversion. In 1953, McCarthy headed the Government Operations Commit

    Read More

  • Historical Accuracy of the Film Good Night Good Luck

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Movie “good night good luck” is incredibly historically accurate. The Movie uses authentic clips that show McCarthy and many speeches Murrow used. World War ended in 1945 leaving a broken Europe and a communist block behind. The United States quickly receded back to the red scare that had existed before WWII. The United States quickly set an anti-communist stance and prepared for a war against the communists. While the war never came some enterprising individuals placed themselves in powerful positions using the paranoia created. Among these individuals one came forward and began one of the most controversial historical programs. Joe McCarthy a nobody Wisconsin’s junior senator made his name when he gave a speech claiming his empty briefcase held the names of 205 communists. The movie “Good Night and Good Luck” tells the story how media ended Joseph McCarthy’s commy hunt and his political career.

    Read More

  • Joseph McCarthy and Communism

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of McCarthy’s political career, he was already walking on thin ice. He launched a series of charges against the government. The first charge was against the communist global apparatus. McCarthy said that the organization had made a sustained attempt to penetrate the United States government and attempt to subvert its foreign policy decisions. The second charge was against the United States government itself. McCarthy said that the official defenses against foreign penetration ranged from weak to nonexistent. The third and final charge was against the government of America, ...

    Read More

  • Joseph McCarthy and Communism

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    There were Communists infiltrating America, and it seemed McCarthy was the only one actively trying to find it. McCarthy governed the U.S. people with fear for three years, was censored, and now is being proven correct, despite people trying to hide the truth. 1950 Joseph McCarthy, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, began a crusade of anti-communism (Bartlett). In this period of time “the widespread accusations and investigations of suspected Communist activities in the U.S.” became known as ‘McCarthyism’ (Reeves). Many events happened during the McCarthyism era to justify his suspicions; Communism was spreading throughout Czechoslovakia and China, and North Korea invaded the South –which started the Korean War (Reeves).

    Read More

  • Essay On The Rosenberg Case

    1584 Words  | 4 Pages

    On June 19, 1953, there came an end to what would become known as “the trial of the century”. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted for being Soviet spies and leaking crucial information about the creation of atomic weapons to the Soviet Union. They were sentenced to death and executed by use of the electric chair, leaving behind two orphaned children. However, they have never admitted to committing this crime and their involvement in the leaking of the so-called Manhattan Project was never thoroughly proved. Their execution came to be known as one of the main events characteristic of the Cold War environment in the United States of the 1950s, which was influenced by the phenomenon of McCarthyism. This essay will examine the Rosenberg Case up close. It will first look at the course of their trial. Then it will take a step back and describe the Cold War environment in which the trial took place, which was being dominated by anti-communist sentiment, the Red Scare and Joseph McCarthy. In combining these two sections, this essay will seek to explain how the Rosenberg Case neglected American values of freedom and tolerance, and how this neatly fitted the environment of the Cold War.

    Read More

  • McCarthyism and the Conservative Political Climate of Today

    6195 Words  | 13 Pages

    Since the 1950s, most Americans have condemned the McCarthyite witch-hunts and show trials. By large majorities, Americans oppose firing communists from their jobs or banning communist speakers or books.[2] But over the past several years, increasing numbers of historians, writers and intellectuals have sought to minimize, explain away and justify McCarthyism. A spate of books and articles touting new historical evidence has tried to demonstrate that communism posed a real danger to American society in the 1940s and 1950s. They argue that even if some innocent people suffered and McCarthy was reckless, he was responding to a real threat.[3] As a result, Joe McCarthy doesn't look so irresponsible in hindsight.

    Read More

  • Good Night and Good Luck

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... of his suspicions. Back then it was considered taboo to have any relation or alliance with a Communism source. In this case McCarthy is correct in suspecting that Radulovich could quite possibly be affiliated with Communism. Though his motives may have been correct, his tactics were unjust and rash. It is part of Murrow’s career as a Journalist to seek out the facts, and confirm them with credible sources and evidence, therefore Murrow has a greater foundation on which to rest his defending statements. McCarthy’s claims however provide no valid grounds and lack the stance necessary to create a solid and logical argument. The way Murrow defends Radulovich may lead to a conclusion that Murrow could quite possibly be a Communist.

    Read More

  • My Conscience To Fit This Year's Fashions By Joseph Mccarthy

    598 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the story, Democrats and Communists Senator Joseph McCarthy discusses how the communists are ruining the nation. The majority of the state department at this time was filled with communists which McCarthy did not think was right. He considered the state department to be an extremely important department and thought that the communists were infesting it and making our nation have tratorous like actions. The reason America was losing the cold war was due to the Truman administration being swarmed with communists. McCarthy claimed to know 205 of the communists and the ones who questioned his methods were the ones whom were the subject of attacks as well as smear campaigns. Then, in 1950 Millard Tydings dismissed McCarthy’s charges and considered

    Read More

  • Essay On The Manchurian Candidate

    1517 Words  | 4 Pages

    The film The Manchurian Candidate provides its 1962 prominently White American audience a different perspective on the Cold War and the American media; the movie includes a chaotic scene titled “The Press Conference” in which the use of deep shots allows for the audience to realize that the information provided by the media is heavily manipulate. The placement of the movie’s characters, their actions, as well as reactions, and the placement of the props in the scene combine to emphasis the idea of the media as a median that is controlled by a puppet master. The scene filmed inside of a coat closet continues the message of a puppet master controlling and leading the speaker, as John looks to Eleanor for answers. Television and reports may have been able to inform and spread information to the public at greater speeds than before, but the information spread can unknowingly be altered. The media receives and spreads information that has been reported by men who have become objects as their agency is limited by outside forces; Director John Frankenheimer’s utilization of mise-en-scène, depth shots, and

    Read More

  • Edward R. Murrow See It Now Analysis

    273 Words  | 1 Pages

    Edward R. Murrow, a writer for radio broadcasting, in his broadcast, “See It Now”, Murrow describes the effects of communism during the anti-communist era. Murrow's purpose is to let americans take initiative, defend, and take responsibility. He creates a opened an fearless tone in order to engage americans to speak up on the anti-communist movement.

    Read More

  • Joseph Mccarthyism In Today's Society

    1565 Words  | 4 Pages

    On April 22, 1954, a trial aired on television that captured the attention on the American population. Joseph McCarthy, senator of Wisconsin, a jury, and multiple defendants spent the next three months on national television, investigating whether or not the Army was being 'soft' on communist. The trials were so popular, because McCarthy had been gaining public support for four years prior to the trials, by claiming in 1950 that he had a list of 205 communists who worked for the state department. This was a successful political move, since America was in the Cold War with Russia, and the fear, referred to as the ‘Red Scare’, was very high at this time. During this time, the public began to realize McCarthy’s bully tactics that he used when addressing the people on the stand, and this eventually lead to his censure by the Senate in 1954. His political career declined rapidly from that point, and he died in

    Read More

  • Edward R. Murrow Analysis

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    Edward R. Murrow was a polished journalist whose independence and unique reporting style impacted the radio and television industry alike. From the start of World War II until his death in 1965, Murrow’s universally recognized voice and honest tone surely made a difference in the lives’ of his many listeners.

    Read More

  • The Media Effects in the Cold War Between USA and Soviet Union

    1649 Words  | 4 Pages

    Encyclopedia of the New American Nation. Television – Tv news and the early cold war. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.

    Read More

More about Analysis of Murrow vs. McCarthy

Open Document