In the 1950s, fear and suspicion gripped the airwaves. Anti-communist fervor swept across the United States, and the entertainment industry found itself caught in the crossfire. At the center of it all was CBS, pressured by the FBI and swayed by public accusations, quietly compiling a list of artists, writers, and intellectuals accused of having communist ties—often with little to no evidence.
This conversation from UCSB’s Carsey-Wolf Center pulls back the curtain on that era, revealing how careers were derailed and voices silenced, not because of what people did, but because of what they were suspected of believing. The blacklist didn’t just affect individuals—it altered the kinds of stories that were allowed to be told, and erased others entirely.
The program doesn’t just look back—it asks us to reflect on today. In a media landscape still shaped by political pressure and public fear, how much has really changed? And more importantly, who gets to decide which voices we hear?