In Murrow's Wake

After watching "Good Night and Good Luck," one gains a new appreciation for the American media. This new perception of the media, however, is not necessarily a positive one. In the beginning of the film, Ed Murrow gives a wonderful, inspiring, speech about the duty of the media to report on issues which may be dull or heavy, but which are nonetheless important. Ironically, a couple kep parts of his speech, intended for an audience of almost 50 years ago, hold true today.

At one point in the speech, Murrow tells his audience that "We are wealthy, fat, comfortable, and complacent. We have a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information." Although the speech was directed at Murrow's fellow journalists, there is much truth in his words about today's society. The majority of people today, as evidenced by the types of programs on tv, have exactly the sort of "allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information" which Murrow describes.