Change Comes in ‘Page One: Inside The New York Times’

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CHICAGO – Will my kids read newspapers? It’s a question that I’ve asked myself multiple times over the years, more so as so many of them have been closed down by the explosion of technology that demanded change. With more and more people getting their news through new delivery systems, what will happen to institutions like The New York Times? And how will it impact actual fact-checking and journalism that demands more than 140 characters? These are the key questions at the heart of Andrew Rossi’s “Page One: Inside The New York Times,” opening here in Chicago tomorrow, July 1st, 2011.

With a fly-on-the-wall aesthetic, Rossi lets the story of a tumultuous year in the life of “The Gray Lady” unfold rather organically, picking out a few strong personalities to follow and allowing the film to develop without much directorial guidance. The result is a film that can sometimes feel oddly episodic and that is clearly telling a story that’s still being written, but one that could start a number of interesting post-movie conversations even if no one involved seems to know how to finish them.

Page One: Inside The New York Times
Page One: Inside The New York Times
Photo credit: Magnolia Pictures

The time that Rossi spent at The New York Times featured a number of remarkable developments, starting with the explosion of Julian Assange and his Wikileaks, an event that earned a lot of coverage for how it would affect the government by the secrets it revealed but could arguably have its greatest impact on the world of journalism. Gone was the middle man as secretive information was no longer vetted by journalists but taken straight to the people. But is that a good thing? What about getting the whole story? Dissection of a clip that circulated on YouTube and how it was edited to look more damaging to the United States is arguably the most fascinating segment of “Page One.” Don’t we need trusted institutions to make sure we’re not being misled?

But what happens when said institutions are a part of the misleading? There are multiple stories between the Assange emergence and the time “Page One” gets around to discussing how Judith Miller helped us get into the war through bad reporting at The New York Times but they’re important bookends. If the most important newspaper in history could fall victim to misinformation, what makes them any better than WikiLeaks?

And will it matter? Throughout Rossi’s time at the paper, more and more discussion of outlets like Twitter and Facebook clearly permeated the cubicles of The New York Times. The cantankerous and incredibly-smart David Carr serves as the paper’s biggest spokesman, often making the case for the importance of the paper as the film progresses. The question is if he’s merely the last man on a sinking ship or someone who will steer it in the next direction.

Page One: Inside The New York Times
Page One: Inside The New York Times
Photo credit: Magnolia Pictures

Without question, there needs to be a “next direction.” With books going the way of the cassette tape as more and more people read on Kindles and iPads, it seems logical that we have yet to hit the bottom of the newspaper crisis. And Rossi’s film is undeniably pro-NYT in that it never really even entertains the suggestion that not only this paper but all newspapers will eventually shutter. There were times when I hoped for a bit more unbiased approach to the paper. Even the Miller material is handled a bit softly and Carr is turned into too much of a hero. Even when people are downsized at the paper, the film gives the sense of concern but not too much panic. There’s reason for panic in the print industry. Trust me. I know people in it. And I wished “Page One” was willing to embrace that a bit more.

I think David Carr is right that the world needs institutions like The New York Times and I hope my kids will read newspapers, but part of the reason I think so many of them have fallen is because they didn’t adapt to the changing times. That’s the story I wanted to see – the film makes the case for the importance of The New York Times, now how do we keep it from disappearing? HOW do we make sure my kids will read newspapers? Maybe that’s on “Page Two.”

”Page One: Inside The New York Times” is directed by Andrew Rossi and opens in Chicago on July 1st, 2011.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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