INTRODUCTION:
Students assigned to view the motion picture might be given a list of critical
thinking/viewing questions and be asked to conduct some research in order to find the answers.  Here are a few questions to consider:

Murrow, McCarthy, History & CBS
1. Who was Edward R. Murrow? What was his job at CBS News?
2. Who was Senator Joe McCarthy? What charges brought Murrow's probe?
3. What was the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC)?
4. Who were Fred Friendly; William S. Paley; Joe Wershba? 
5. Describe the role of CBS and broadcast journalism in the early 1950s?
6. How many viewers saw Murrow's "See It Now" broadcasts?
7. Which advertiser(s) sponsored the program?
8. How has the advertiser/program relationship changed since the 1950's?
9. What was Murrow's attitude about the show "Person to Person"?


George Clooney; Film Literacy
1. Who is George Clooney? What role does he play in the film?
2. Why did he decide to produce the Murrow/McCarthy story?
3. How does Clooney relate the 1950s events to what is happening today?
4. Who benefits from this story being told in this way?
5. How might the story be told differently?
6. In what ways does the use of actual newsreel footage of Joe McCarthy 
(and others) add to or detract from the film?
7. Does the film have a message? If so, what it is?
8. Is the film more or less effective in black-and-white?
9. What role does music play in the film?

Tobacco & The Film
1. What role does smoking play in "Good Night and Good Luck"? 
2. Does Murrow's habit contribute to or detract from the character? How so?
3. What do you know about the relationship between tobacco & TV in the 1950s? how has that changed?

Deconstructing the Movie Poster
1. Regarding the official US poster for the film (shown above)
have students discuss the line:
"In a nation terrorized by its own government, one man dared to tell the truth."
2. Discuss the use of color (or lack thereof) in the poster.
3. Examine the lighting and its impact on the actor who portrays Murrow.

This page was last updated on:  02/12/2009