McCarthyism and the Media

McCarthy. An infamous name known by all who study history as the man who introduced a method of accusing ordinary citizens of communism, and then using
obviously radical methods to produce a clearly forced confession. The media had differing viewpoints on the man. Many despised him. Several news articles portrayed him
as a "rampaging Republican" who was clearly participating in the communist "witch-hunts" to promote himself politically, rather than purge the US of any internal subversion for
the "good of the people". Yet others in the news grasped his accusations and made them front page material, placing in big bold letters eye catching titles such as "THE COMMIES
ARE HERE" and "CRIMSON CHINA...US TO FOLLOW?".
McCarthy's suggestion that there were "205 card carrying Communists" working in the state department and shaping foreign policy is widely disputed as to its accuracy. Even McCarthy himself
reminds us that there is no proof that he ever stated this figure at the famous speech in front of the Women's Republican Club on February 9, 1950 at Wheeling, West Virgina. No recording was ever
made of the speech, and all other documentation regarding the true nature of the speech has been collected from witnesses who tend to disagree on what was actually said. Nevertheless, the press grabbed
the accusation, knowing fully that the topic would be hot and would certainly not end with a single story.
Yet, what most journalists didn't realize was that no matter what opinion their columns held, any story was great publicity for McCarthy. The thought of seemingly patriotic citizens with secret ties to
an ideology that conflicts entirely with democracy fascinated the American public, less so intelectually and more predominantly in their growing fear of communist takeover. Sure, many journalists
criticized McCarthy for his brash and brutal tactics and his tendency to produce poor evidence against the accused. But the fact remains that McCarthy's exploits, no matter how unconstitutional, confirmed
American fears of communist invasion on a political level, and these exploits were publicized every day, reminding the public of the Communist threat to their security as American citizens.