The movies, the media and the messy truth
It’s been a decade since Spotlight won Oscars for best picture and best screenplay at the 2016 Academy Awards, with the film recognised for its heroic portrayal of journalism. This newspaper described it as the “best film about journalism since All the President’s Men ”, which was quite the compliment, for its dramatisation of the Boston Globe ’s journalists working to expose historic child abuse…
Ten years after Spotlight, a film about journalism's heroic efforts to uncover child abuse cases within the Catholic Church, a newer movie has attempted to cover similar ground. The Social Reckoning, released recently, focuses on the collaboration between an investigative journalist from The Wall Street Journal and a hesitant whistleblower from Facebook.
Together, they delve into the harmful effects of social media on its users, which is the film's main theme. However, this film has underperformed compared to its predecessors, The Social Network and Spotlight. It seems that audiences may not be as eager to watch a movie that instructs them about the negative aspects of social media, as they are already aware of the platform's toxicity.
Media professionals may still appreciate the film's portrayal of investigative reporting, but it is unlikely to be remembered as one of the best films about journalism.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
