Jake Kestly

Dr. Keith Zukas

Comm. 137 Fall
Friday Nov. 1

To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be

interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only
reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against
that contentionBut it can do so only to the extent that humans are
determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and
lights in a box. Good night, and good luck. Edward Murrow said that in
the George Clooneys impactful film; a movie that brings up some
interesting topics in regard to news writing and media ethics. A main
question posed is, should a reporter go against spin-doctoring
despite what the paper or news station he/she works for says about it?
It can be quite the ethical dilemma but if individual reporters dont
stand up for facts they see in politics and instead are influenced by
other political interests, news will not be in a good place. One can see
this through Murrows actions in the movie, our current landscape in
news, and the purpose of reporting is to come as close to the facts as
possible and if a reporter doesnt do that, it wont do the public any
good. More reporters need to be like Murrow in todays current

landscape; challenging what was present and looking for an alternative

story based upon the facts. (Clooney, 2006)
In the movie, Murrow is seen on many occasions going against
CBS and pressure from McCarthy. Whether or not McCarthy was right or
not, we find out that it didnt matter as much as Murrow not letting
McCarthys opinion be heavily influenced in his show. He stood by what
he saw as facts in his program. Neither McCarthy nor CBS stood with
him but his news ethics were intact by the end of the movie. This is
something that should be looked upon as a model for reporters. Too
often do we see bigger outlets in media influence reporters and have
their opinions come onto shows that should be reporting the facts. In
the movie, Murrow had McCarthy so riled up when he wasnt falling in
line with his witch hunt that McCarthy decided to give his own Public
Service Announcement. Even after that, Murrow gets reprimanded by
the CBS president and gives him a smaller spot on TV. As one can see,
he got a lot of backlash by going against what McCarthy wanted him to
say but ultimately it was to Murrows benefit as he greatly changed the
way people thought about what was going on during that time.
In news media currently, one can see a lot of spin-doctoring. A
big example of this is the Benghazi story that happened last year. A lot
of the facts regarding what happened were left out by media outlets.
There are several facts that couldve been delved deeper here such as
when the White House received the information about the situation

and what they did or didnt do about it. There was key information
regarding the trials that was scarcely covered on major outlets such as
Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC. The trial was covered for 2 hours on Fox
News, only 15 minutes on CNN, and absolutely not at all on MSNBC.
Such a big deal should have gained more coverage on media outlets.
Benghazi is a good example of under-coverage but there is also such a
thing as over-coverage such as situations like the Castro Kidnappings
and the Trayvon Martin case. Both were situations that happened
everyday but the media had put emphasis on them for whatever
reason. The Trayvon case was made about race when it wasnt even
confirmed that that is what it was about. The reason for all of these
examples is to cite that spin-doctoring and influence goes on and is as
relevant as it was in Murrows day. (Feldman, 2013)
Not having other interests influenced in News Media is
impossible but there is still a solution. Reporters need to take a stand
and take a stance on some issues. Of course places like Fox, CNN, and
MSNBC will have their own agendas, but if reporters decided to be
more aggressive and push for a different spin like Murrow there would
be a higher success rate that different views would be told. It worked
for Murrow, but he pushed a little too hard. That though, ended up
being a really good thing ultimately, but reporters should take their
cues from him and at least start to do some of the things he did right
when he started. This isnt as much of a solution as it is a strong

suggestion for current reporters to follow. Some good examples of

some networks that have gone more in the independent direction are
Glenn Becks network and Aljazeeras news network. Like either of
those or not, one has to applaud them for having their own
independent viewpoints without any other influence.
Spin-doctoring is a serious issue in media and hopefully by
providing some examples one can see the relevance of it. In
conclusion, one can see the bold steps Murrow took, his success with
it, how one can see modern examples of spin-doctoring in media, and
some possible solutions to the problem. Good night, and good luck.

WORK CITED

Clooney, G. (Director). (2006). Good Night, and Good Luck [Motion

picture]. USA: Warner Home Video.
Feldman, J. (n.d.). OReilly And Bernie Goldberg Tear Into Benghazi
Media Bias: MSNBC Is White Houses Public Relations Firm. Mediaite .
Retrieved October 31, 2013, from http://www.mediaite.com/tv/berniegoldberg-and-oreilly-tear-into-benghazi-media-bias-msnbc-is-whitehouses-public-relations-firm/
OUTLINE
I.

Introduction
A. Thesis- It can be quite the ethical dilemma but if individual
reporters dont stand up for facts they see in politics and
instead are influenced by other political interests, news will
not be in a good place.
B. Breakdown of points: Murrow resisting outside pressure,
modern-day examples, resolution

II.

III.

IV.

V.

Murrow & His Stance against Spin-Doctoring

A. Reporters should follow the Murrow Model
1. Murrow not folding under pressure with CBS and
McCarthys influence.
B. Reporters should take risks to result in a positive impact for
society
1. Murrow got in trouble but made a positive impact.
Modern Day Examples of Stories Effected
A. Undercoverage
1. Benghazi: Length Fox News, CNN, & MSNBC covered
them.
B. Overcoverage
1. Trayvon Martin & Castro Kidnapping Examples
Resolution
A. Reporters standing up for facts and not just what their
company tells them to report---take risks
B. Examples---Glenn Becks News Station, Aljazeeras Station
Conclusion
A. Repeat of Thesis