Edward R. Murrow has long stood as a paragon of journalistic integrity, a man whose 
unwavering commitment to truth and courage in broadcasting set the gold standard for American journalism. His bold, eloquent takedown of Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare wasn’t just good television — it was a defining moment in the defense of American democracy. I’ve spent years studying and writing about that moment, including my master’s thesis, because I believe Murrow’s voice still echoes as a call to conscience. For me, he is not just a historical figure — he is a hero.
George Clooney Portraying Edward R. Murrow
It’s no surprise that George Clooney feels the same way. Before his career as an actor and filmmaker, Clooney seriously considered becoming a journalist. His father, Nick Clooney, was a respected broadcaster — liberal in his views, passionate in his defense of free speech, and a lifelong admirer of Edward R. Murrow. That admiration shaped George Clooney’s career in more ways than one. In 2005, he co-wrote and directed Good Night, and Good Luck, casting himself as Murrow’s close friend and producer Fred W. Friendly, opposite the extraordinary David Strathairn as Murrow. Now, Clooney has brought the story to Broadway, this time portraying Murrow himself — this time live on stage.
Clooney has said that he felt compelled to return to Good Night, and Good Luck because of what’s happening in our world right now. “When the other three estates fail,” he said in a recent interview, “the fourth estate has to succeed.” He warned against rising authoritarian tendencies and the use of power to intimidate or suppress journalists. “We’re seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations — to make journalists smaller.” Revisiting Murrow’s principled, but dangerous, stand against McCarthy, Clooney insists, is not nostalgia. It’s a warning.
And that brings me to one of the most thrilling moments I’ve experienced in decades of attending live theater. Near the midpoint of the play, Clooney — portraying Murrow — delivers the famous line from Julius Caesar: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” But to understand the weight of that moment, you have to understand what Murrow was doing — and risking — in real life.
On March 9, 1954, Murrow used his national television platform on See It Now to directly 
confront Senator Joseph McCarthy at the height of the Red Scare. At the time, even the hint of criticism could ruin a career, and Murrow knew full well the risks: retaliation from powerful politicians, accusations of Communist sympathies, and professional isolation. He did it anyway. And in that moment on stage, when Clooney echoed Murrow’s warning, the audience didn’t leap to its feet because of Shakespeare — we were applauding the courage it takes to speak truth to power. The applause was explosive and sustained, stopping the show. What we were responding to wasn’t just history — it was the urgent reminder that when democracy is threatened by bullies and demagogues, the burden to resist falls on all of us. If you substitute “Trump” for “McCarthy,” you begin to understand just how deeply this moment resonated.
Click here to see the original moment that galvanized the nation on March 4, 1954. The text follows.
“Earlier, the Senator asked, “Upon what meat does this, our Caesar, feed?” Had he looked three lines earlier in Shakespeare’s Caesar, he would have found this line, which is not altogether inappropriate: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”
No one familiar with the history of this country can deny that congressional committees are useful. It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one, and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. His primary achievement has been in confusing the public mind, as between the internal and the external threats of Communism. We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men – not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.
This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy’s methods to keep silent or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation, we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn’t create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it – and rather successfully. Cassius was right. “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”
Good night and good luck.”
Excellent!!! We need the whole country to be reminded of this. Unfortunately, there are none so blind as those who refuse to see.
Barry,
What a great article.
I am so glad you were able to be in the audience last night. How exciting.
See you on zoom April 29th for another exciting What Just Happened.
Thanks,
Jan Juhl
Fantastic article!! Thank you for posting. Definitely something we need to take note and be aware.
Barry,
Your perception and perspective are, as always, flawless. You are an inspiration to those who are fortunate to attend your lectures.
Barbara Engel