The roomie and I went to see Goodnight, and Good Luck yesterday. What a fantastic movie, and the lead who played Murrows is going to get nominated for an Oscar in the leading actor category.
Goodnight is a quiet film, but almost every minute of it is so tense it’s difficult to believe the events portrayed actually ocurred. Then I realize that they did, and it makes me smile because here’s a reporter who stood up for what he believed in. Such integrity on television rarely exists anymore. It’s controled by sponsors and corporations who decide whether a story is too controversial to air. Newscasts, too one-sided.
Maybe I’m being too harsh, but I can’t help it. I left the movie theater struck by the parallels between then and now. Murrows and his staff took an enourmous risk when they challenged McCarthy, and even though their reactions were fictionalized, I’m pretty sure their struggles internal and otherwise were profound. They reported on the truth because it was the right thing to do despite the threats. It was an amazing movie.
On that note I honestly believe that the future of journalism lies not in tv anymore, but in the internet. Just look at all the weblogs out there devoted to reporting the real news, uncensored with its supporters willing to pay the bills with a few clicks. These are the new reporters.