I only saw this film once when it first came on HBO, but I still remember Travanti's great performance as the chain-smoking newsman who gave radio a voice and tv a conscience. Travanti does an excellent job capturing Murrow's courage and integrity especially in taking on Senator McCarthy. People don't realize this but back then most Americans were in favor of what McCarthy was doing. The best part of the film is the re-creation of "See It Nows" attack on him and Murrow's masterful editorial (he didn't create this situation of fear...he exploited it...the fault dear Brutus is not within our stars but ourselves") In an age of tabloid journalism and trash tv, we need to re-examine Murrow's life and what he stood for. He would be appalled if he could see journalism today! The terrible irony is that Murrow had the courage to attack McCarthy and do so many other things, but yet he foolishly surrendered to a four pack a day cigarette fix that killed him at only 57.