Alicia Tariq
Many people may assume that journalism is a field of lies and biased reporting. The decline in trust with journalists and the media is fuelled by concerns over political bias, misinformation and the idea that news organisations choose profit and agendas over reporting the truth.
Journalism plays an essential democratic role in exposing corruption and informing the public on major stories. However, when there’s a lack of trust within the field, stories are often dismissed or ignored.
Journalism portrayed in films gives the public a better understanding of how it works as an industry. Although it can be used as entertainment, it also showcases real-life stories where journalists play a key role in exposing corruption and crime.
However, films have also given a bad reputation to journalists by sometimes representing them as unethical and corrupt. Many argue that this type of representation forms public opinion and sheds light on potential real-life situations. There’s also the issue of films being factual or purely fictional, and whether or not this representation is accurate to the evolution of journalism.
“Oftentimes, when journalists are depicted as corrupt and careless, it can create an impact on audiences, causing them to project that image onto real reporters.”
She Said (2022)
A recent portrayal of journalism is the film She Said (2022), which focuses on the investigative journalism of two New York Times journalists: Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, on Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault allegations.
This 2022 film showcases how journalism can be represented in a positive light, in which journalists create real-life impact from their investigations and news reports.
In real life, this investigation also led to the #MeToo movement in America.
The movie examines the confidential interviews and confrontations with those hired by Harvey Weinstein who were forced to keep quiet. Both Kantor and Twohey helped raise campaigns against sexual assault as well as corruption and exposure within the media.
The portrayal of journalism in She Said depicts journalists as empathetic and persistent during investigations.
They are not driven by headlines and profit, but by thoughtful reporting and carefully navigating trauma, legal issues and powerful resistance. The film emphasises the emotional intelligence required to earn the trust of survivors and persuade them to speak and use their voice for justice.
“Journalism portrayed in films gives the public a better understanding of how it works as an industry.”
She Said offers a realistic and detailed depiction of modern investigative journalism. The scenes when reporters analyse documents and meticulously fact-check present the nature of good journalism. There are no shortcuts, and unlike more dramatised media portrayals, there’s no glamorisation of unethical tactics.
The film carries the message that journalism can be practised ethically and become a powerful tool for exposing injustice and empowering the marginalised. In doing so, the film demonstrates how investigative reporting can have a role in shaping cultural and legal conversations.
This positive portrayal of journalism in the film industry aims to reinforce trust in journalism, emphasising its democratic value.
Spectacle
While many films celebrate journalists, some films portray them in a negative light. The 1951 film Ace in the Hole is centered around a journalist who turns a tragedy into a spectacle by keeping a man trapped in a cave instead of rescuing him to create a ground-breaking news story to revive his career.
The journalist, Kirk Kurby, represents journalists who view people as a headline and not as a human being.
Ace in the Hole critiques the morality of journalists when it comes to furthering their career, and raises questions on maintaining journalistic ethics under commercial pressure.
Whilst this film was made decades ago, the film critiques the suffering of others and sensationalist stories. It portrays journalism as a tool of manipulation driven by ego and profit.
“While it is important to recognise that these negative portrayals can distort perceptions of journalism, they also serve as fictional tales to warn journalists and challenge them to consistently uphold ethical standards.”
A more recent film that portrays unethical reporting is Shattered Glass (2004), in which a reporter is exposed for fabricating articles. The reporter, played by Hayden Christensen, represents journalists as people who can easily manipulate the public with their lies and spread misinformation.
Oftentimes, when journalists are depicted as corrupt and careless, it can create an impact on audiences, causing them to project that image onto real reporters. This can undermine the credibility of the press as a whole.
Live From Baghdad
Journalists are either portrayed as objective reporters or as spreading corruption, but journalism as a field can sometimes be used as government propaganda.
The 2003 film Live from Baghdad showcases the very issue of propaganda that many journalists still face today when reporting on wars, such as the current conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The movie follows a group of CNN reporters who are reporting during the Gulf War. However, these reporters are limited to certain areas they can report on and whom they are allowed to interview. While trying to gain consent from Iraqi officials, they find that they are only allowed to portray them in a favourable light, manipulation public opinion as a result.
The film critiques how reporters can become involuntarily tools in serving political narratives, especially when access and exclusivity are valued more than critical reporting.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, journalism in film reflects the deep tensions surrounding the profession itself. Films like She Said (2022) remind audiences of the courage and empathy that define the essence of reporting by exposing abuses of power, but films like Ace in the Hole (1951) and Shattered Glass (2004) reiterate that ambition and ego can corrupt the pursuit of truth.
“Journalism plays an essential democratic role in exposing corruption and informing the public on major stories.”
While it is important to recognise that these negative portrayals can distort perceptions of journalism, they also serve as fictional tales to warn journalists and challenge them to consistently uphold ethical standards.
Ultimately, films can provoke reflection about the role of journalism in society. These films remind us that a free and responsible press remains essential to democracy, and that trust in it must be both earned and protected.
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Featured image courtesy of PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
