Episode 23: Mad as Hell - The Journalism Genre in Hollywood

From Citizen Kane, All The Presidents Men, Anchorman, and Newsroom to this years much buzzed about films Truth and Spotlight – Hollywood has had a long, adoring, but complicated relationship portraying journalism. The iconic 1976 film Network staring Faye Dunaway and Robert Duvall will soon celebrate its fortieth anniversary. In both television and film, journalism is still a hot topic today with crusading journalists, cutthroat executives and stressed newsrooms front and center. The film Network was groundbreaking when it premiered but it’s influence is still felt and has inspired filmmakers like Aaron Sorkin and TV personality Stephen Colbert. On the show, we speak to New York Times writer Dave Itzkoff and author of the hit book Mad as Hell: The Making of Network and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies about Network on the continuing allure of the journalism genre. Why are these depictions important in our greater culture? Why do newspaper journalists get so much more respect then their counterparts on TV? And is there any truth to the power-hungry female news producer?

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