MANILA, Philippines — Journalists are usually not the stars of the stories they report…unless they are made protagonists
onscreen. To comme-morate this year’s Cebu Press Freedom Week – which opens today (September 17) – here are movies and series to binge-watch for media nuts.
These stories include a well-established newspaper on the threat of being shut down, a producer trying to save a failing morning show, another on female anchors dealing with workplace politics, a teenage journalist uncovering a mystery, an anti-hero superhero, a crime reporter re-visiting her horrible past, and so much more.
MOVIES
The Post
This Meryl Streep-Tom Hanks starrer is based on the true story of The Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham and her editor Ben Bradlee as they report the Pentagon Papers which documented US government secrets including how it handled the Vietnam War. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film was released in 2017 at a time when news of Donald Trump winning the US elections ignited worry about how his administration will treat the press – paralleling the government threatening to shut down newspapers like Washington Post over their exposés.
Morning Glory
Leaning more on the romantic-comedy side, it focuses on news producer Becky (Rachel McAdams) who is hired to save a morning show that is failing in the ratings. Her most challenging task is to have anchors Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) and Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) get along both on and off-camera. This 2011 film makes the best case for why morning shows are important in journalism. While some often associate these shows with lighthearted fare, their place in hard news should not be overlooked. It’s these morning shows that help people start their day as they ponder on current events.
Get a Clue
This Disney Channel Original Movie places Lindsey Lohan in the shoes of student journalist Lexy who is a columnist in her school paper. Wanting to boost her career by working in the city daily paper, her article about her teacher gets published. When that teacher goes missing, she and her friends investigate his sudden disappearance. Released in between “The Parent Trap” and “Freaky Friday” which cemented Lohan’s career, this 2002 flick shows the passion and smarts of young aspiring journalists, telling them that no story is too big for them to pursue.
Venom
Investigative journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) attempts to expose a corrupt organization and its leader Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) when one of his experiments possesses Brock’s body and turns him into a superhuman alien through a symbiote. It may be odd to name a Marvel superhero flick as one of the movies to watch for journalists, but Brock’s determination to uncover corruption turns him into an involuntary superhero.
Erin Brockovich
In this Oscar-winning performance, Julia Roberts plays the titular character who attempts to reveal a cover-up of a company responsible for contaminating water in a community that causes its residents to be sick. Based on a true story, Brockovich is not a journalist, but the lengths she goes through to expose what’s happening while trying to be a good single mom is one that a lot of journalists may relate to as they balance careers and personal lives.
SERIES
The Newsroom
Most viewers may know “The Newsroom” for its famous opening scene in the pilot where Jeff Daniels’ Will McAvoy delivers a powerful monologue on why America is no longer the greatest country in the world. Created by The West Wing’s Aaron Sorkin, the series is much more than that viral clip. It gives insight into how the media industry operates as McAvoy’s news staff tries to deliver the news the best way they can while dealing with pressures of their network’s corporate interests. The dialogue can be quite preachy, but Sorkin does well in humanizing journalists with his sharp writing.
The Morning Show
If “Morning Glory” and “The Newsroom” had a baby, it would be “The Morning Show” starring Jennifer Antison and Reese Witherspoon as Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson who take charge of their show as anchors amidst personal and career challenges – most notably the firing of Alex’s co-anchor Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) over sexual misconduct. The show makes up for the lack of seriousness in “Morning Glory” and the soapbox writing of “The Newsroom” with its approach to newsroom politics as a driver to create entertaining and dramatic moments. It also incorporates real-life events such as the Me Too movement and the COVID-19 pandemic into its storylines.
Great News
If you’re a fan of Tina Fey’s humor in “30 Rock”, you might like “Great News.” The sitcom focuses on news producer Katie (Briga Heelan) who is forced to work with her mother (Andrea Martin) in her show after she was hired as an intern, shifting workplace dynamics towards Katie by her colleagues. Just watching clips of the show, it is clear that its humor shares similarities with “30 Rock” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” While zeroing in on the characters in the workspace rather than the stories they report, the comedy provides journalists with light-hearted laughs while not completely detaching themselves from work through fiction.
Sharp Objects
This HBO miniseries follows crime reporter Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) who returns to her hometown to investigate the murders of two teenage girls. Returning to her childhood home ruled by her strict and manipulative matriarch (Patricia Clarkson) with a cruel teenage half-sister (Eliza Scanlen), Camille’s terrible past comes back to haunt her. But her difficult memories may help her find the answers. Adapted from the debut novel of the same name from Gillian Flynn who also co-wrote the show, “Sharp Objects” digs deep into the psychology of a complex, traumatized female journalist. It also explores how conservative mindsets in rural areas shape how people think of themselves and their surroundings that may have violent implications. Several trigger warnings: murder, self-harm, emotional abuse, and sexual assault.
The Daily Show
In its 27-year run, “The Daily Show” has changed how people discuss current events, thanks to hosts Jon Stewart and his successor Trevor Noah. It should be noted that this is not a “news show”, but a comedy that satirizes politics, the news, and pop culture inspired by American cable news shows with its opinionated reporting. Its “news satire” format, along with “special reports” from correspondents, is effective thanks to its well-rounded research and sharp commentary.