Desc: Yesterday's Witness: A Tribute to the American Newsreel: Directed by Christian Blackwood. With Lowell Thomas, Ed Herlihy, Harry von Zell, Jack Shaindlin. "Yesterday's Witness: A Tribute to the American Newsreel" is a historic homage to the rise of journalism, media and entertainment news. At the very start of film history the newsreel was a staple of widespread media. Often shown before films in American movie theaters, the short clips would offer the latest reports on World War 2 and the state of the nation. Though these tidbits of information had potential to spur false notions and misinformation, they were some of the firsts ventures into photojournalism and the moving image, industries that continued to grow and improve in decades to come. A collaboration between director Christian Blackwood and his consultant, historian Dr. Raymond Fielding, gives way to a fascinating insight into the lost long medium.