Good night...

This film left me longing for context. As someone who was not alive during the era in question, it was hard for me to really grasp the urgency and importance of Murrow's bulldogged approach to McCarthy. (Don Hollenbeck came across as somewhat unstable...and seemed to be the only character in the film who was really afraid of McCarthy...even Annie Lee Moss seemed more befuddled than concerned.) I would like to discuss this movie with someone who was aware of these events as they happened to find out if he/she had a similar problem with the lack of context.
David Strathairn's portrayal closely matched my understanding of who Murrow was and I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look into broadcasting. I needed a wider view. What motivated Murrow? What motivated Fred Friendly? What were the origins of their steely ethics and why did they seem unusual among newsmen of that era (and even more so today)?
...And don't even get me started on how this film highlights how journalism and journalists are being flushed (and/or flushing themselves) down the toliet every day...