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...
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.
By the time Republican Senator Joseph R. McCarthy gave his first speech in which he accused 205 members of President Harry Truman's democratic government of being communist on Feb. 9, 1950 there was already a lingering anti-Communist attitude in the United States. Which is why his speech, given in West Virginia, far from Washington DC, and from his home state of Wisconsin, made such an impact. Most of what he said has been forgotten, the speech was never recorded, but what he started with that speech would win him and his actions a place in American history.
In 1950 Joseph McCarthy, a 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). The accusations of Communism spread to all branches of public works; entertainment, clergy, teachers, and journalists were all investigated (Reeves). Blacklisting first appears at this time. Many people had to take oaths, swearing that they were not Communist, just to keep their jobs (Reeves). When McCarthy first began, he said that Communists made up the majority of the State Department, but when the Senate looked into it they reported no sings of Communism (Reeves). In 1949 McCarthy said to have gotten his inf...
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.
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.
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
...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
The McCarthy Era (1940’s- 1960’s) was a time of fear and turmoil. During this era, thousands of people were affected unjustifiably and the Movie “Trumbo” portrayed the hardships of the people. Hatred towards communism was a prevailing theme throughout the whole movie, breeding many other issues such as needless violence against communists and unfair job opportunities. Due to the media, censorship and propaganda strengthened the hatred towards communist ideals. Movie theatres displayed communism as evil and spread lies about how the goal of communists was world domination and to overtake America. No one had the right to express their opinions and beliefs if they had different opinions from the majority, and if they did there was no stopping people from giving them a rough time. “It will do you no good to search for heros or villians, there were only victims.” was what James Dalton Trumbo believed because no one was exempt from the problems in this period.
After World War II, the cold war between Soviet Union and America became increasingly intense, causing a fear of international communism. Joseph R. McCarthy, a senator from Wisconsin, capitalized this kind of fear by charging the U.S. State Department was riddled with Communist agents. McCarthy’s targets expanded to all the people who were “soft on communism”. The House Un-American Activities Committee,
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
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.
Viewed as a star in the eyes of many, Murrow was asked to host a weekly television show, See It Now, a counterpart to his radio show, Hear it Now. Murrow had developed a strong sense of nationalism as he made an effort to capture stories of ordinary Americans. With this unique formula, Murrow was able to mold the individuals’ stories into influential commentaries on select political issues. Murrow produced a powerful special on Senator Joseph McCarthy, making him out to be a lunatic, exposing his Red Scare tactics. This was a pivotal episode on See It Now that would have a lasting effect on American journalism for years to
... 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.
McCarthyism affected every institution and organization in America, from Labor to professions to the Media (Schrecker1, Archival Sources for the Study of McCarthyism, 205-207)
From this definition of media, it has certain wide effect and impact upon the audience to which it is addressed. The impact upon audience can be positive or negative. The positive impact can include educational information and knowledge on certain ideas, policies, laws, or even the current events. The negative impact can impair or damage the refutation of a person, or institution or an organization based on impression. Since the impact of the media can be dictated by the content it is aired or published, this was utilized during the cold war to enhance the campaign of socialism or communism and capitalism or democracy. Further, this essay will investigate into the effects of media during the cold war with the use of television, newspapers and radio broadcast in Russia and America.