"Yeah, you, sorority girl. Just in case you accidentally wander into a voting booth one day, there are some things you should know..." Will McAvoy

Its not necessarily news that Television Programming these days leaves much to be desired. Most of it has become a cluttered, chaotic circus of hyperbolic distraction, sensationalizing, gossip and sometimes, I think, just flat out noise pollution. This is most evident to me when watching the "News" or certain talk shows; have we become so enamored with the mere sounds of our voices that we ignore the content of our speech? 

On that note, I'm really digging HBO's Series "The Newsroom".  A real Aaron Sorkin gem, the first season retrospectively follows the cast and crew of a prime time news broadcast team led by Senior anchor Mill McAvoy (played by Jeff Daniels) as they boldly commit to reporting objective, factual news "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements". The character development is rich and genuine, conveying the conscious and subconscious consequences familiar to anyone who has ever attempted to counteract injustice or fight for integrity while still being subject to human fragility. The diversity in age and experience of the cast members allows for empathy from all sides; you can relate to the frustrated and jaded senior correspondents just as much as you would the young, naive production assistants or interns eager to attach themselves to something revolutionary and just. The content is relevant, thought-provoking and witty. Here is a short promo:

Im no eloquent critic so I'll leave that to someone who is better suited for the job. But I do want to elaborate on the importance of the issues this show highlights. It is a bittersweet victory, at most, for champions of Truth when factual evidence emerges to shed new light on tainted political motives or deceitful engineering of half-truths or misinformation. I applaud the show for tackling topics that are controversial and even some that were once dismissed as "conspiracy theory" territory. I enjoyed watching the characters take on these "messy" topics and attempt to conduct meaningful investigation in a way that preserves integrity, rejects hyperbole, values facts and asks the right questions. The show may seem slightly biased to the left at times despite McAvoy's character constant reminders that he is a registered Republican who only "seem[s] liberal because I believe that hurricanes are caused by high barrometric pressure and not by gay marriage". This is, after all, a dramatization of the "truth"; luckily a good portion of that "truth" checks out. There is an entire site dedicated to fact checking each episode: The Newsroom Fact Check. 

Topics discussed in the first season include the following and are arranged by episode:

1. Explosion of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig, rampant corruption and ineptitude of the Minerals Management Services (MMS), the unclear relationship between Haliburton and BP regarding safety reports and the gross underestimations of the actual damages being reported for up to three months following the catastrophe. 
2. The constitutionality of Arizona's SB 1070 Bill 
3. The 9/11 Commission, the platform of the Tea Party as being distinct from that of the Republican Party, the link between Americans For Prosperity (AFP), the Tea Party and The Koch Brothers- not to mention the lack of awareness among Tea Party members of the mere existence of this affiliation. Finally, the historic 112th Congress.
4. The steep reduction in funds alloted to the US Attorney's Office to specifically fight financial crime following the shift in power in the 112th Congress, the media's ability to repeatedly ignore proven facts and disseminate false information; for example, the price tag on President Obama's trip to Mumbai or his voting record in regards to gun laws. This episode also touches on jeopardizing accuracy for increasing need for speed in journalism as it relates to Congresswoman Gifford's tragedy and the botched news reports that followed.
5. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's controversial "Budget Repair Act" and his funders, the incoherent and offensive rants of Rush Limbaugh, the importance of the enactment and subsequent repeal of the Glass-Steagall Actt and finally the failure of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' spouse to report $680,000 income from the Heritage Foundation, a Koch Inc. funded Think Tank.
6. The misrepresentation by right-wing media of the proposed Islamic Community center near ground zero and the controversial views of Rick Santorum on sex, birth control and the role of religion in government.
7. The capture of Osama Bin Landen
8. The Debt ceiling, poorly informed understanding of the Fiscal Cliff and the NSA's freedom to conduct wire taps.
9. Dichotomy of Character vs Policies evident in 2011 GOP Presidential Debates and petty distractions from real issues
10. Truth about alleged voter fraud, proposed voter-ID legislation. Also explores separation of church and state.

All in all, I enjoyed the series- even after indulging a few less-than-glowing criticisms. Is it drama? Sure! But I can certainly appreciate Sorkin's attempt to raise some valid points about the way the media chooses to handles the news. p.s. I will definitely be elaborating on some of these topics mentioned above in later posts. 

-AKT