ABSTRACT
The 1954 CBS exchange between journalist Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy represented an important moment for television in the Cold War. It is also an example of character assassination. In this chapter, the author suggests that Murrow’s argument succeeded due to the rhetorical savvy with which he built his prior ethos. McCarthy’s ignored response, aired one month later, sidestepped the important issues of his investigation methods. In his wandering rejoinder, McCarthy enacted components of Murrow’s argument while failing to meet his burden of proof. A thorough assessment of character assassination needs to consider prior ethos, intrinsic ethos and procedural ethos.
