Warm jazz fills the opening scene of the 2005 movie “Good Night, and Good Luck” as black-and-white scenes of laughing people cut on and off the screen. 

“Good Night, and Good Luck” — directed by George Clooney — is a retelling of the 1950s Red Scare era of anti-communist Sen. Joseph McCarthy and journalist Edward R. Murrow’s approach to disprove Mr. McCarthy’s lies using his weekly news program, “See It Now,” on CBS.

By using a traditional movie format rather than a documentary, “Good Night, and Good Luck” is able to capture viewers’ attention while giving factual information, highlighting the parallels between the McCarthy era and today. 

This spring, 20 years after the movie debuted, “Good Night, and Good Luck” is on Broadway, with Mr. Clooney as Mr. Murrow, raising awareness of the McCarthy era and how people in power can spread false narratives. On June 7, CNN will air a live performance of the stage version

The term “McCarthyism” is in reference to Mr. McCarthy when he accused many people of being communists, which caused panic and ruined lives.

While actors portray most people, every speech by Mr. McCarthy was actual footage of him talking, which gives the movie a unique sense of primary source without having the movie be a documentary. 

Spreading awareness of the McCarthy era is especially important during the current Trump administration as Mr. Trump has done more than any previous president to silence the press. 

In the movie, Mr. Murrow talks about the importance of not repeating history.

“I began by saying that our history will be what we make it. If we go on as we are, then history will take its revenge, and retribution will not limp in catching up with us,” said Mr. Murrow.

One of Mr. Trump’s forms of “McCarthyism” has been to sue multiple news organizations. He has coined the term “fake news” and diminished the credibility of the journalism industry as a whole.

The work of CBS and Mr. Murrow displayed in “Good Night, and Good Luck” demonstrates the importance of having independent news organizations that the public can trust. If it wasn’t for the work of Mr. Murrow disproving the accusations of Mr. McCarthy, he would have been free to continue accusing people of having connections to communism, which jeopardized the accused people’s lives.

Mr. Trump has also been jeopardizing the lives of journalists, not only by discouraging the industry and making them seem uncredible, but by threatening them. 

“Good Night, and Good Luck” sheds light not only on an important era of American history, but also the work that journalists can do to keep everyday people aware of who is telling the truth and who is not.