Are you still lucky enough to live in a 2 + newspaper town? Local papers are folding, no pun intended, all over the country. My San Francisco Chronicle is supposed to be on its last legs (but, true, this is being reported by T.V. news anchors) and the Colorado Rocky Mountain News just closed its doors. Many papers are choosing other options to daily publishing, like becoming internet only.
This sad scenario is being repeated everywhere. Has the “daily” become obsolete due to technology? Is it because of short attention spans, due to video games, to all day cable news talking heads, to just plain lack of interest? Well, if newspapers go the way of the 8 track, we still have movies that show “newspapering” as not only necessary and vital, but sometimes a very noble profession. I’m sure there are tons more, but I’ve seen and liked the films below:
”His Girl Friday”, 1940 – Editor tries to keep ace reporter from leaving (film adaptation of 1930’s comedy by MacArthur & Hecht)
”The Front Page”, 1974 – same plot, but this time with Jack Lemmon & Walter Mathau, directed by Billy Wilder
”Call Northside 777”, 1948 – .James Stewart and Richard Conte in a true story, told in documentary style, about a newsman racing to save an innocent man on death row.
“Deadline – USA”, 1952 – Humphrey Bogart as a crusading editor, of a closing newspaper, on a mission to expose a local gangster
“All The President’s Men”, 1976 – Robert Redford & Dustin Hoffman (Watergate and the Washington Post reporters Woodward & Bernstein)
I like newspapers – I like turning pages and getting ink smudges on the tips of my fingers.