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the political and cultural landscape
of the early 1970s when “All the
President’s Men” is set, or the
McCarthy era when “Good Night
and Good Luck” took place.
Review the plot prior to screening.
Without spoiling the ending, layout
the plot points and facts in the film
to avoid confusion, and students
can concentrate on the ethical
issues.
Consider when you’ll ask students
questions about the film. Should
you ask them in advance so they
can be thinking of the answers as
they watch, or will you spring it on
them after the film is over, or some
combination of the two?
Bring it home. Have the students
try to find parallels between
situations in the film and those from
your community. For example, in
“Spotlight” the Catholic church is
a too-big-to-fail organization in
Boston. What is an untouchable
organization at your school that
might make it difficult for your staff
to cover?
While there are many movie
viewing guides out there,
particularly for older films, craft
your own questions that might be
more relevant to your school, and
bring in examples from your local
community.
Turn the film screening into an
opportunity for a film review
article. In addition to a discussion
about the subject matter and
content, students can research the
production elements, including
how the film was developed. This
research can help them understand
the cultural context of the actual
events.
Consider how a fictional film, or
even a documentary, is different
from a news story. Many films
about challenging stories are often
produced years later, when the
topic is no longer controversial. This
method is an interesting contrast to
journalistic stories that are often the
first to break the news, which makes
it difficult for reporters to bring such
stories to light, as in “Spotlight.”
“Spotlight” is rated R, so think
about how you will allow students
to watch the film. I provide a list of
all films we will watch during the
course of the year and have parents
sign a waiver that gives permission
for their students to see the movies.
However, if the film is used as a
source for a news article, like a film
review, you may not need a waiver.
OTHER GREAT
FILMS ABOUT
JOURNALISM
Historical events or
contexts: “All the President’s
Men,” “Good Night and
Good Luck,” “The Killing
Fields”
Questioning our
perceptions of news
organizations: “Outfoxed,”
“Control Room”
Working with whistleblowers and powerful
corporate forces: The
Insider
ProPublica published an
article about their favorite
muckraking movies.