"It's Shakespeare"

I wanted to watch this for insight involving the media in the United States and how news was handled concerning the Cold War. This film did not disappoint. There are many interesting things that were stated by Ed Murrow in the film and by others about the purpose of television. One of the main concerns of the film is what exactly the purpose of reporting news via the television is and what news is and is not limited to.

The plot of the film surrounds the controversies of Senator McCarthy’s warning to the nation about local communist threats to democracy. Specifically in the case of Lieutenant Milo Radulovich, a member of the Air Force forced to resign because of apparent “communist sympathies”. Ed Murrow’s programming was held in high regard because of his nuanced ways of reporting the news. McCarthy unjustly accused hundreds of people, including government officials, of having ties to communism. Many reporters of the day wouldn’t report any kind of controversial news fearing that they themselves would have the finger pointed in their direction. Many people looked to television during this time as a form of entertainment to leave their fears of communism behind. Morrow believed that television was not an instrument of, “decadence, escapism and insulation from the realities of the world,” but the exact opposite. He reported the news, the truth to those who were willing to listen. The film always portrayed a sense of worry in the newsroom that somehow they would all be accused of communism for whatever it was the Ed Murrow was reporting, however, they did all stand behind him and support him in his aspirations to simply report the news.
One of Ed Murrow’s closest supporters was Fred Friendly, former president of CBS and co-creator of See it Now.
A major issue with this new way of reporting news was the potential of ruining someone’s reputation with information gathered about them on the news. Having the ability to associate a face with words pertaining to that face is much different than to simply listening to words about such a person over the radio. This also seemed to play a huge role in relaying information to the public during the Cold War. It was expected that McCarthy would go after anything that was in Murrow’s past after the program dedicated to spoiling McCarthy’s reputation was aired. McCarthy was given the opportunity to rebut anything that was said during this program but instead pointed a finger at Murrow. The film didn’t talk much about Ed Murrow’s past but there were a few moments that suggested that he had communist ties. It is true that Ed Murrow was a liberal newscaster who was described as “anti-anti-communist” which McCarthy thought was as bad as being a Communist.
I thought it interesting how Shakespeare was quoted by Ed Murrow and referenced in the film.
“The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars but in ourselves” – Cassius.
Something about this film made me think that Ed Murrow was one of the most intelligent beings in existence during the Cold War. His quoting Shakespeare actually happened but the way it was presented in the film just puts Murrow on such a high pillar of intelligence! Fred Friendly asks “Did you write your closing piece?” Murrow responds “It’s Shakespeare” Then Friendly not amused blurts “Uh-huh. Write your closing piece.” Was Murrow misunderstood by even his closest colleague? Was there anyone that Murrow completely confided in or was he alone during this entire time? This film made it seem so. Was this whole McCarthy incident really just a battle between two men fighting for their beliefs and there was no involvement of anyone behind each person? Did it just happen to be caught on film? I think this is what Murrow means when he believes that our ideas will win this war and not because of bombs. If the nation becomes so distracted with these really unimportant tribulations we will have already lost the war because we would not have used our intelligence for progress. He also makes this comment about the use of television. How television should be used for the purpose of progress not so much as art and entertainment.
At the beginning of news broadcasting through television many people thought that the public would be uninterested and want to be entertained. There was the battle between the civics lessons vs. entertainment programming. When Murrow loses sponsors for his broadcast he says, “The content of what we are doing is more important,” more important than any sponsor, more important trying to entertain the nation; What is more important that telling the truth and informing the public and sparking interest in the nation for the freedoms of our nation? During this time sponsors were holding back the news and I’m sure that plays a somewhat important role in the news today. Murrow warns Television is losing its meaning and soon it will become nothing more than “wire lights in a box”.

Edward R. Murrow Quotes

“In a story there are two equal and logical sides to an argument.”

“If we never read a dangerous book or had a friend that was different or attended a meeting that advocated change we’d be the kind of people McCarthy wants”

"The line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep into our own history and our doctrine and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes which were for the moment unpopular. This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthty's methods to keep silent. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result."

“Never saying no is not the same as not censoring”

“Most truths are so naked that people feel sorry for them and cover them up, at least a little bit”

“No one can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices”

“Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn’t mean you are wiser then when it reached only to the end of the bar”

“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the sould of America dies with it”


Edward Murrow is my new favorite person to quote.