The general plot of "Shocking Insider" is as follows: CBS 60-minute ace producer Rowe Bergman discovered a shocking inside story: Tobacco company giants lied to the public, claiming that smoking is not addictive, but this is not the case, the original tobacco Jeff Hua, one of the company's executives, has ample evidence. However, due to the huge power of the tobacco company and the threat of illegal interference, Lowe, who was able to confront the terrorists for 60 minutes, had to keep silent. In this situation, Lowe Bergman is in a dilemma: as a journalist, a committed journalist, what should he do? Under such circumstances, Lowe did not give up. During his forced leave, he used his contacts in the media circle to continuously pressure CBS. In the end, Lowe and Jeff won and the recorded program was broadcast as scheduled. In the end, Jeff also made a name for himself.
Throughout the whole film, it shows several universal value orientations for the world that are worthy of reference and learning by journalists.
1. Freedom of the press only belongs to the big boss?
The protagonist of the film, Luo Wei, is the producer of the famous program "60 Minutes". Although he has a high status and right to speak in the industry, he has never been able to get rid of his fate as a "working boy". When his opinions conflicted with his boss, although he insisted on his own opinion, he was helpless to be "house arrest" by his boss - forced to go to the beach for vacation. In a country with a relatively high degree of press freedom like the United States, the interference of political factors on the freedom of the press is obviously much smaller than that in countries with stricter politics such as China, but this does not mean that other factors interfere with the freedom of the press. It will be relatively reduced, or the United States has complete freedom of the press. After the Jeff incident, CBS was threatened with a takeover by a tobacco company, saying that if CBS insisted on broadcasting the recorded video, they would have a lawsuit of up to millions of dollars, and if they lost the case, they would Likely to be acquired by tobacco companies. In such a situation, the CBS boss chose to stand on the side of economic interests.
From this point of view, the freedom of the press really belongs to the bosses. It is not difficult to find out that the freedom of the press at this time is actually a slave to money. What is reported and what is not reported is actually no longer because of The informed needs of the audience and the professional ethics of journalists are completely manipulated by the forces behind them.
Although the status quo is this, the director of the film gave us a very happy ending: Luo Wei created huge pressure on the owner by "selling out" his owner. At this time, the owner woke up like a dream and finally broadcast. this significant video. Although after many difficulties, the journalists still defeated the evil forces and made the truth public, but the degree of hardship can be imagined, and the means adopted by Luo Wei to achieve the goal are also extreme and debatable. , the newsman's victory is indeed temporary. In the social environment of the United States at that time, money was indeed the most reliable bond to maintain interpersonal relationships. The birth of a hero would always take unconventional means, and these were extremely unrealistic, both in society and in the public. Therefore, in the Under the social environment in the United States at that time, freedom of the press really belonged to the big boss and money.
Second, when professional ethics violate the law, what should journalists do?
After watching the film, it is not difficult for us to find two major contradictions: 1. The contradiction between the confidentiality agreement signed by Jeff and the tobacco company and the public health safety; 2. The contradiction between Lowe's ideal of press freedom and the economic interests represented by the behind-the-scenes mastermind . The two contradictions are also the two main lines of this film. But the first contradiction was resolved in the middle of the film. After Lowe's lobbying and Jeff's professional cultivation as a scientist, Jeff appeared in front of the "60 Minutes" camera without hesitation. The public exposed the lies of the tobacco tycoon.
So the film is divided into two main lines into one main line. Although it is said that the contradiction between Lowe and the man behind the scenes is the main line of the film, it also contains another dark line, that is, the contradiction between Lowe's news ethics and laws and regulations. Jeff told the truth although he defended public health, but violated the non-disclosure agreement, that is, violated the law. If Lowe did not come up with a roundabout way for Jeff to avoid himself, then Jeff might go to jail. But as a journalist, Lowe bravely chose to stand on the side of his own professional ethics. He helped Jeff as much as possible to "take advantage of the law", and even "sell" his employer and broke the news to " New York Times".
If we make a value judgment between news ethics and economic interests, then we believe that everyone will choose news ethics. Although in the real world, economic interests will always affect our moral orientation, but this will never shake news ethics in news. high place in the hearts of men. But what if a value judgment is made between news ethics and laws and regulations? Then it must be difficult for us to make a judgment, and this is what this film gives us the most thought.
In the real world, morality and law often conflict with each other. We also increasingly encounter things that are "reasonably unlawful" or "legally unreasonable." In this film, although the protagonist Luo Wei finds a compromise point between morality and law in a roundabout way, and defends his journalistic ethics without breaking the law, but we are not all in life.” Lowe".
The editor-in-chief of a well-known domestic media once said: "Although we sometimes can't tell the truth, we never tell lies." This is the current situation of my country's news media - telling the truth may enter the restricted area, and telling lies will Go against your conscience. Due to the excessive interference of political factors, many similar situations have occurred in our country, so there has been a response method of "not telling the truth and not telling lies".
From this point of view, different social environments have the same and fundamental impact on the degree of freedom of the news media. There is no complete freedom of the press under a social system. Without complete freedom of the press, there is no perfect news ethics. As for the blocking of sensitive restricted areas such as law and politics, it would be best if journalists could find a compromise between the two and be a magical "Lowe". For more journalists, they would choose to remain silent. This is the helplessness of the journalism industry, but it is not a failure of the journalism industry.
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