Analyses the medium of documentary and an era in US history. This cultural study considers four "See It Now" programmes on the abuses of McCarthyism, originally broadcast in 1953-54, illuminating the structure, content, assumptions and rhetoric of the genre and its impact on the TV industry.

A Choice Outstanding Academic Book For 1994-1995. "Rosteck's history offers penetrating insight into the extraordinary relationship among Cold War ideology, television documentary, the tactics of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, and their overall impact on political culture. "- Choice