bs143110@ohio.edu
"The Paper" is a movie that takes place in New York City. It involves the New York Sun, which is one of many outlets in New York.
The main character is Henry Hackett, who is an editor at The Sun. He has a wife who is pregnant throughout the movie.
The beginning starts out with instant action. Two black guys find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both black guys see a man who had blood all over his face and fingers while he was still in the car.
The black guys were put in jail by the police because they were thought to have committed the crime.
Giving Away Job Information?
Hackett was trying his best to gather information for the story. While he was working on the story, he was linked with a job at the New York Sentinel. I would think that Hackett would want to keep this information a secret, but when the staff gathered together to discuss its plans, word got out that Hackett was going to have an interview at The Sentinel.
Again, I would think he would want to keep this information quiet. He could say that he needs to use vacation time and do the interview with the The Sentinel during his vacation. If he finds out that he got the job, then he should give a two-week notice so the newspaper has time to hire a replacement.
Hackett eventually interviews with one of the people who is a key figure at The Sentinel for the job. During the interview, he asks the man if he can borrow a book. While the man turns around to grab the book, Hackett moves the folder and sees what The Sentinel is specifically running in the newspaper.
Personally, I don't think he should be doing that. He was able to use that information to The Sun's advantage.
To Include The Name Or Not?
As the newspaper was getting closer to go to the press, Henry and his co-worker got the chance to speak with a cop about the situation in a closed bathroom. The cop admitted that the two black guys had nothing to do with the incident that happened earlier in the movie. Hackett and his co-worker said they wouldn't reveal the name of the cop.
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| Henry Hackett reads in the office. Photo from onthesetofnewyork.com. |
I suppose it depends on the situation at hand, but I probably would've named the person. I think it adds more to the story if you name the person who gave you the necessary information. The person is not your friend. He might be mad, but your job as a journalist is to serve the public and provide information that helps educate your audience.
After Hackett got the information, he wanted to make sure that it was printed in the next day's newspaper. He tried to stop the press because he realized the headline on the front page was wrong. He had to push and shove Alicia, who is also one of his co-workers, to hit the stop button on the press.
The newspaper eventually had the right information on it. Alicia, who was shot in the leg at a bar, was reading it while she was at the hospital.
It took a lot for Hackett to want to stop the press and change the information, but he wanted to be right and his hard work paid off. The radio even mentioned the news The Sun wrote about.
I would've probably tried to do the same thing. In the end, an organization has to be right. If it isn't, then it loses credibility with the audience. Hackett had to go to extreme measures, but he saved his newspaper's credibility.
Final Thought
A journalist's life can be tough at times. Hackett's situation could be viewed as a little extraordinary, but journalists have to make sure their every move is made carefully. If they make a mistake, they need to own up to it as well. Here's a video to end my blog:
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