Question: I have seen a few criticisms of Brian Williams' decision to host Saturday Night Live, people saying that as a newsman he would be denigrating his integrity, Edward R. Murrow would be spinning in his grave, yada, yada. I normally don't watch the show, but as a (print) journalist, I was curious to see Williams' performance. I think there's a line between pandering yourself for cheap laughs and showing an ability to poke fun. In my opinion, Williams did a great job of demonstrating the latter. He was really entertaining and showed comedic ability, and it's not like now I'll no longer find his news reports credible. Perhaps this would've been unthinkable in the days of Walter Cronkite or even Tom Brokaw. But even if this was just a gimmick for NBC Nightly News to reach out to a "hipper" audience, I can't help but be happy and relieved for Williams. It must have felt like Lorne Michaels approached him to try skydiving for the first time. And to know he survived it without serious ...
read more
Usually, when George Clooney is on a television news program, he's often touting his latest role or offering an opinion on recent Hollywood happenings. For his latest directorial effort, however, Clooney decided to take viewers behind the scenes to witness the nitty-gritty days of '50s journalism in Good Night, and Good Luck, set for release Oct. 7.
Along with producing partner Grant Heslov, Clooney cowrote Good Night, and Good Luck to pay homage to the news business he came to know during childhood as the son of newsman Nick Clooney, who continues to write a thrice-weekly column for The Cincinnati Post. Framing the black-and-white feature is the famed struggle between CBS broadcaster Edward R. Murrow and Wisconsin Senator Joseph McC
read more
