Sunday, February 26, 2012
Celluloid Newspapers
We have seen two films, His Girl Friday and Citizen Kane, in which the protagonists work in the newspapers business (Walter Burns is an editor, Hildy Johnson a reporter, Charles Foster Kane a publisher). What do these films tell us about the job of a reporter or publisher in the 1940's? What is the role or status of the newspaper at that time? How have things changed since that time?
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Over the years, the value of the newspaper has gone down. The use of the internet and smart phones have made access to the news as easy as walking a dog. What people tend to forget is the glory days of the newspaper industry. A time where computers did not exist and people relied on the morning paper for their news of the day. These films tell viewers today a great deal about the newspaper business of yesteryear. First off, the publisher and would do absolutely anything for the story. For example in His Girl Friday, Hildy and Walter hide the escaped convict in the newsroom to get the exclusive story that would sell their paper over their rivals. Another job held to high standards in the newspaper industry is the necessity of reporting on the truth of what happened. An example of that from Citizen Kane is when Charlie goes into the newsroom and finishes the negative review his best friend Jedediah Leland was writing of Kane's wife's opera performance. Kane is not concerned with the negative nature of the review but rather with the journalistic integrity he forces all of his reporters to stand for as he completes the story the way Jedediah started it. In the times these films were created, the newspaper was the primary source of news for the citizens of the United States. The importance of the newspaper industry was much more important than the value of it today. It was the job of Hildy, Walter, and Charlie to not only do everything in their power to get the story but to also uphold the utmost respect for the industry and the stories you are reporting on.
ReplyDeleteThese reporters and newspaper publishers in this time period could change the opinion of the masses to their will. The newspaper in the 1940's was king, and whoever was its controller could in turn control the minds of the people who read their paper. In terms of the publishers and reporters, these people seemed obsessed with their work, and had no regard for the feelings of others. The reporters would do anything to get the story they want, even to drastic measures just as Hildy did in hiding a fugitive in a desk. Again the editors would do anything much like Walter did in blackmailing a political officer to avoid getting out of jail, and so he could report his story. The newspaper business in this day and age was cut throat, and was all the the people in this time period could read to know what was going on in the world. Since then however the need for newspapers had dropped significantly. With the internet which can give us information on anything within seconds the need to go out and buy a newspaper with limited information is becoming obsolete. I think that instead of cut throat news reporters, we now have cut throat bloggers and online journalists. As time goes on the media must adjust to the wants of the consumers or it will simply die off. An this new form of online journalism is just the evolved form of the 1940's newspaper journalist and editor.
ReplyDeleteWith the advent of the internet, you can't really go to any site without seeing SOME kind of news. But back in the day, you actually had to decide to read the news - ON PAPER!. In the days of Kane and Walter, the papers were willing to do anything to get their story in the news. Now, it seems, anything you do will be put in the news, somewhere.
ReplyDeleteGenerating content is not difficult in these days, but back then, you had to bribe and blackmail and hide criminals to get a story, like Walter, or you had to be indifferent towards the lives of others, even causing them to attempt suicide, as Kane did. Back then, you didn't really care if the story was true or not, as long as it was out there, it was juicy and it sold. News on the internet is in some ways similar. People don't care if their story is true or not. But that is about where it ends. You don't have to bribe and steal and such to post your story. You can just make up whatever the hell you want and upload it to joegotnews.blogspot.com or something like that. Nowadays, news is about quantity not quality (not that news back then was quality, but at least it was entertaining.) Many stories are often very dull and pointless, such as an article I read last month about a German man who ate 68 year old spam, I mean who really cares about that (a lot of people apparently: it was #3 most read on BBC the day it was published). Watching these movies for analysis of the newspaper only really show the difference (and some similarities) between back then and now.
In a time without internet and television, newspaper was the easiest way to learn about current events. Almost everyone had access to newspapers, which is why newspapers had so much control over the population. People reacted to what they read regardless if the story was completely true. The first half of Citizen Kane is about how he tries to control the population using his news network by writing slanted stories, such as encouraging Americans to support the Spanish-American war. Later, Kane uses his newspapers to improve his third wife's reputation as an opera singer. Kane's control over newspapers in every part of America allowed him to shut out any opposing messages. His Girl Friday shows a similar story about a reporter's power, albeit in a more comedic and lighthearted way. A large part of the plot in this movie is about gaining fame for the Morning Post by capturing the murderer. The newspaper would then publish an embellished article that exemplified the heroism of the newspaper's staff. Other scenes show reporters deliberately telling different and exaggerated accounts of events, such as the scene where multiple reporters are on the phone reporting that the murderer has escaped. Finally, Walter's personality probably reflects the public's opinion of most journalists. He is crafty, but he is also incredibly cutthroat. He will sacrifice almost everything and everyone to get the job done. The negative impression that he leaves likely represents how some Americans felt about reporters.
ReplyDeleteReporters of the 1940’s had a great deal of responsibility; clearly doing all they were capable of doing in order to bring compelling and important news to the attention of the general public. During this time the newspaper was the only way information really was able to be spread around. This was a time when computers did not exist and newspapers were heavily relied upon. Films like His Girl Friday and Citizen Kane show us that reporters as well as publishers of this time would ultimately do anything possible to obtain a story. His Girl Friday specifically depicts numerous scenes’ of reporters scurrying about their office hurriedly at the simple mentioning of the possibility of a story. From this film it’s clear to see that obtaining important information to educate the masses was of the utmost importance to the people of this time period. However over the years the importance and continual need for newspapers has gone down substantially. The internet has assumed the role as the main way to post and pass on information to all regions of the world eliminating the “old fashioned” way of obtaining news. It’s somewhat sad to see something that’s played such a crucial role in the way society interacts and communicates merely die off with the continuous advancements in technology over time.
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