Introduction
One way to get at how media unwittingly became complicit in fulfilling the ambitions of terrorists is to look more closely at how journalists do their jobs and how media outlets operate when they are not dealing with a crisis such as a terrorist attack.
Directions
The following films or HBO series are excellent dramatic depictions of issues relevant to journalism and the press in America.
You will watch any of one of the features listed and identify an issue illustrated in the film.
Sample topics might include:
media as “infotainment” and/or “big business”
media as watchdog issues regarding access to sources and classified information
the tension between a free press and national security
“objectivity” in journalism unintended consequences of media coverage of events
adversarial stance of journalists
Discuss what you learned about media watching a film. Think of creating a five paragraph, 500 or so word journal entry. Because this is not an academic essay but a journal, you are encouraged to reflect on your previous thoughts about the media and what you learned watching the film and to connect that to course content.
However, only focusing on your emotions and detailing the plot of the movie will bring down your score on this assignment. Strive to introduce the film and what it is about but then move on to discussing a complex issue or issues that the feature depicts about media in the U.S.
