I’m totally in love with Netflix, and it’s not much of an exaggeration to say it’s the only reason I’m even halfway current with non-anime movies. ;-)
Every few rentals, I stick a pre-1980s classic into my queue, and this past Friday, I re-watched Network.
While I was in college, I had to watch this film as part of a media relations class and was blown away. Fifteen years later, I’m just as impressed. However I feel about the various characters depicted, Paddy Chayefsky‘s script is prescient and Sidney Lumet‘s direction captures the manic pulse of the television/entertainment world. It’s very hard to believe it’s more than 30 years old.
The very frightening thing is that some parts of the film, which seemed farthest fetched upon my first viewing — again, 15 years ago — have actually come to pass in real life, with the rise of “reality” programming (in quotes for a reason), the absorption of some news operations into entertainment divisions, and most significantly, the public’s insatiable appetite for and the importance granted to tabloid journalism.
One of the most important things I took away from my journalism training was to “consider the source” and to do so critically. What are potential motivations? What stands to be gained or lost? Is this company or individual a qualified, valid source in the first place? Why should we listen? And why does his or her opinion matter?
The lines have been blurred beyond recognition, especially with the introduction of the Internet and the competition it inspires. As long as the questions above are being asked, the explosion of news sources and opinions has the potential to be a wonderful, democratic thing. But if these questions aren’t being asked, and the consumers of this information don’t — or don’t have the capability to — self-filter and justify their opinions in a meaningful way, it very quickly devolves into a cacophonous mess.
I don’t think we’re at that point, yet. Then again, it’s very much in my best interest, professionally, to feel that way. :-)
Watch this film.