(Top left): “Christine”. (Bottom): “Nothing But The Truth”. (Right): The extremely well-regarded “All The President’s Men”

Journalism in film might as well be a genre in itself, with plenty of sub-genres. There are hundreds, if not thousands of films about journalists, the art of journalism, and its workings.

It seems to be an endless source of filmmaking inspiration, not only because so many are based on articles or books written by journalists themselves, but because journalism is part of everyone’s everyday life.

You might not be a journalist or know a journalist, but you certainly consume content by journalists every single day.

Whether it’s reading a paper, a website, a blog, a tweet or watching either a news bulletin on TV or clips from those bulletins on the internet, every day people consume content propelled by journalists of various forms of media.

In the age of the 24/7 news cycle, you might think that would mean a dearth of contemporary films about journalists and the media. After all, who wants to consume a dramatised version of what they already consume every day?

And yet, these types of films, both from the early days of cinema and relatively recently, remain popular with filmmakers, if not audiences. (I’m looking at the box office cume of “Bombshell” and it is … not good).

Initially, I was going to compile a list of my favourite films depicting journalism on screen. Then I Googled what other people thought and realised I’d be essentially parroting what millions of other entertainment writers, serious journalists, and film critics have said previously.

Not that there’s anything wrong with liking what everyone else likes. There’s a reason films like “All the President’s Men”, “Spotlight”, “Network” etc. are all extremely well-regarded.

But if it’s already been said a million times before, can I really shed any new light on these films? Most people have heard of them or seen them. I’m not sure it would really entice anyone to watch them for the first time or to revisit them.

So, whilst the more famous ones will get a namecheck, I think it’s an equally interesting exercise to look at some lesser-known titles. There’s certainly plenty from which to choose.

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (2008)
Dir. Rod Lurie. Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga and Angela Bassett.

A confession. I only watched this film because Kate Beckinsale was in it. I had no idea what it was about going in and didn’t expect a great deal because I had previously suffered through “Whiteout” in the name of Kate Beckinsale.

“Nothing But The Truth” is a drama inspired by the real life story of American journalist Judith Miller and the Plame affair. A mix of courtroom drama and political thriller, “Nothing But The Truth” ponders the ethics of journalism and protecting one’s sources under extreme government pressure.

It’s underseen largely due to the fact that it was never released in cinemas in the US, as the film’s distributor filed for bankruptcy before the release and it wasn’t given a large international release. It’s certainly not for lack of quality that many people have never heard of it.

Beckinsale gives one of her best performances as embattled journalist Rachel, and it deserves to be seen by everyone who said she couldn’t act after seeing “Pearl Harbor” (a film which is not as bad as we all remember).

It’s a well-made adult-oriented drama, the type which often doesn’t get made for film anymore as filmgoing habits have changed and cinematic universes expand.

“Nothing But The Truth” is available to stream on Stan.

A PRIVATE WAR (2018)
Dir. Matthew Heineman. Starring: Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander, Greg Wise and Stanley Tucci.

“A Private War” is in essence a biopic. It tells the story of the woman first, the journalist second. However, one could not be without the other, that is how deeply intertwined the two are.

It tells the story of Marie Colvin, an American journalist for “The Sunday Times”, who was killed in Syria in 2012 whilst covering the siege of Homs. Based on “Marie Colvin’s Private War”, an article by Marie Brenner, one could almost say it’s journalistic pedigree is doubled.

An interesting exploration of Colvin’s dedication to her vocation as a foreign affairs correspondent, it shows us the knife edge Colvin lived on as she struggled between maintaining a fulfilling personal life whilst dealing with PTSD, amongst other things, as a result of her quest to “bear witness” to the conflicts she strove to report on.

Rosamund Pike gives a performance so transformational one can barely believe it’s the same woman who played Jane Bennet in “Pride & Prejudice” or Amy Dunne in “Gone Girl”.

“A Private War” leads one to wonder whether anyone is right in turning off “misery porn” in a 24/7 news cycle. We may only look at a news package for five minutes, or read an article briefly in the morning over a cup of coffee, we sacrifice nothing by reading and digesting this information.

“A Private War” reminds us all of the sacrifice those on the front lines of every conflict are making to bring us news. It leaves us to ponder whether those sacrifices are necessary and worth it, or whether they are needless and perpetuating an unhealthy obsession with a constant cycle of news.

“A Private War” is available to stream on Stan.

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CHRISTINE (2016)
Dir. Antonio Campos. Starring: Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts, Maria Dizzia and J. Smith-Cameron.

“Christine” is a film which left me with a dilemma. To spoil or not to spoil, that is the question. I will not go into too much detail so as not to ruin its impact and spoil it. But to not warn anyone that it deals with extremely heavy themes would be negligent.

If you Google it, you will have fair warning as to the events, based on a true story, that it portrays. I went into it blind. I’d never heard of Christine Chubbuck, but when I came out of it, I was almost paralysed by shock, which is not a reaction I often have to a film.

It was almost disarming how the tone changed so rapidly, but I still count it among the best journalism films I’m ever likely to see, even if it’s more a character study than anything else.

Set in a 1970s newsroom, Christine tells the story of a woman navigating her way through a competitive news landscape with serious ambition and strong ethics, but with a rapidly unravelling personal life.

Rebecca Hall is magnetic as Christine. You can barely look away from her although sometimes you wish you could. Among its heavier themes, “Christine” weighs the evergreen question of what sells. Tabloid journalism or issue-based journalism?

It’s what pushes “Christine” to its conclusion and leaves you to wonder if Christine Chubbuck merely propelled the brand of journalism she fought to keep off the air. One thing is for certain, I won’t soon forget this film.

“Christine” is available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Microsoft or at all good retailers.

MR JONES (2019)
Dir. Agnieszka Holland. Starring: James Norton, Vanessa Kirby and Peter Sarsgaard.

“Mr Jones” is a film with which I have a complicated relationship. On one hand, it tells the important and relatively under-the-radar story of Welsh journalist, Gareth Jones. On the other, I can think of the many and varied ways in which I would change it to be a better film. Nevertheless, it made my list as I think the story it tells is far more intriguing than the faults I find with it.

“Mr Jones” tells the story of Jones’ travel to Moscow and his subsequent unapproved journey to the Ukraine, where he uncovered the Holodomor in 1933.

Half a survival story, half a soliloquy on ethics in journalism, “Mr Jones” can be an at-times agonising watch. Especially one sequence in the Ukraine in which I wanted to physically leave my body and never think about eating again.

But it provokes important questions on bias, evidence-based journalism and supposedly meritorious awards, as well as how we take in information and what we chose to believe based on our ideologies and world views.

There are some odd framing choices and slightly ponderous sequences, which really shouldn’t surprise me given it’s an Agnieszka Holland film. But overall, “Mr Jones” tells an important story about important journalism, the sacrifices of which we should not take for granted.

“Mr Jones” is available to stream on Netflix.

Other films about journalism that are worth watching:

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (2019)
Absence of Malice (1981)
All the President’s Men (1976)
Almost Famous (2000)
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Balibo (2009)
Broadcast News (1987)
Capote (2005)
Cry Freedom (1987)
The China Syndrome (1979)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Good Night and Good Luck (2005)
His Girl Friday (1940)
Kill the Messenger (2014)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Network (1976)
Nightcrawler (2014)
The Paper (1994)
The Parallax View (1974)
The Post (2017)
Rosewater (2014)
Shattered Glass (2003)
Spotlight (2015)
State of Play (2009)
To Die For (1995)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
Zodiac (2007)