By Brooke Barker

November 2, 2006 | On a night where they could have been cheering on the men's basketball team in its opening exhibition game, more than 50 students came out to learn about the way journalism used to be.

During a presentation of George Clooney's film Good Night, and Good Luck, students got an understanding of the Cold War era of the 1950s and the impact of broadcast journalists such as Edward R. Murrow.

"He was widely respected, which was why he was able to get away with what he did," said Penny Byrne, an associate professor in journalism.

During the 93-minute film, students caught a glimpse of a time when broadcasters strove for objectivity, advertisers had a saw in what went on the air, Teleprompters involved cue cards and journalists saw it as their duty to report.

The movie focuses on CBS reporter and anchor Edward R. Murrow around 1954, as he and producer Fred Friendly challenge objectivity, when Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin begins stirring up fears by claiming that card-carrying Communists are working in the U.S. government.

"You have to understand that until 1945, we were on the same side as the Communists," said Byrne. "Most everyone knew someone and it was easy to cast the stones and call the names."

Friendly and Murrow's jobs were both challenged as they stood up to McCarthy and faced losing airtime, but since then, Murrow has become known as the "father of broadcast journalism."

"Journalists are not just stenographers, they don't go home and go to bed after a meeting and sleep well knowing they quoted someone accurately," said journalism Department Head, Mike Sweeney during the presentation.

After the film, Byrne, an expert on media law, and USU history professor, C. Robert Cole, an expert on propaganda of the Cold War, answered questions concerning the Cold War and the actions taken by Murrow and Friendly.

Professor Cole explained that the film is a form of white propaganda -- putting a spin on true things.

"Clooney is presenting reality, but with a spin on McCarthy," he said. "I remember being a junior high kid and seeing some of these things as they were actually happening."

One student wondered if the film could be directly related to the Bush administration today, and the war on terror. Byrne said there was no doubt.

"Clooney has flatly admitted his concerns over the administration," she said. Byrne also explained that there is no one broadcasting today with the same stature as Murrrow because of the unlimited media outlets. She explained that this film could have been meant to show journalists their duty as watchdogs in society.

"This movie shows an interesting dilemma for a journalist: where does the citizen end and the journalist begin?" said Byrne.

This presentation was part of the journalism department's annual Media & Society Lecture Series, and co-sponsored by the USU SPJ Chapter.

The next presentation is planned for spring semester, when Dan Forbush, the founder of ProfNet and PR Newswire. He will be talking about virtual personas and the future of MySpace and Facebook.

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