Page One is less a look into the inner workings of the “Newspaper of Record” and more of an exploration of the status and relevance of newspapers post 24-hour cable news and Web 2.0.
In recent years we have seen the decline of print media in the United States. Newspapers all over this country from big markets to rural communities have collapsed. This film delves into the consequences of that collapse from the perspective of “the Gray Lady.”
The film highlights both the success of the New York Times over the years and its failures. The film does not hold back in looking into the plagiarism issues of former staff writer Jayson Blair. Or, the travesty of Judith Miller‘s reporting on the presence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.
Page One also provides a nice short biopic of David Carr a principle figure at the New York Times media desk. A man who believes in a medium that literally saved his life.
But more than anything the film highlights the need for a strong and vibrant print media and its potential demise. The most notable trouble highlighted by the film is the bankruptcy and near-total collapse of the Tribune Company (which at the time operated the likes of the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times). The film explores the fiction that the Tribune Company was faltering because of lack of interest in print media and instead noted the mismanagement of the company at the hands of Sam Zell.
Another interesting insight is into Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. The WikiLeaks phenomenon is often cited as a sign of the irrelevance of traditional investigative journalism. But, Page One reminds the viewer that Assange sees himself first as an activist and not as a journalist. We also get insights into the collaboration between the New York Times and WikiLeaks, where the information found by WikiLeaks is vetted and contextualized to provide a more accurate story.
At its heart Page One is a reminder of the importance of print media. The Fourth Estate plays a vital role in a democratic society. It provides information valuable to an informed citizenry and necessary for a well-functioning polis.
We as a society often forget that the First Amendment is meant to protect a free and open Market Place of Ideas. Freedom of speech is not premised on the value of all people yelling their thoughts, but rather on the importance of people being exposed to various ideas to arrive at a sound understanding of issues. For freedom of speech to function, there must be a correspondent duty to listen.
The shuttering of print media eliminates a voice that provides information that may not otherwise be available. Without people on the ground and connected to sources around the world our informedness becomes compromised. As Page One highlights, a great deal of new media provides sensation over information (the big board at Gawker indicates that one of its top stories is a topless Helen Mirren). General interest newspapers expose people to a variety of views and a multitude of stories that may otherwise be drowned out in the cacophony of the Internet.
Page One also reminds us that adaptation is necessary for success. In the face of irrelevance at the hands of the Internet the New York Times has adapted. They hired Brian Stelter, a Web 2.0-savvy reporter, to their media desk. They work with WikiLeaks. They have partnered with ProPublica, an Internet-based investigative journalism group, to conduct more thorough investigative stories.
Page One tells an important story, one that should be heard. It is a reminder of the importance of print media and the need to stave off its demise. It is also a story about the need to develop and adapt to changing times to retain relevance.
PARSI VERDICT: Take a page from me; go out and watch Page One.
See what the other half thinks: Haus’s view.
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