For people who like rapid-fire Aaron Sorkin dialogue and plotlines, as well as a media take on the media itself, HBO’s drama “The Newsroom” has all of the above. For the uninitiated, the show, which is drawing to a close this year after three seasons, details the goings-on at fictional news network ACN (Atlantis Cable News).
The drama, which mixes real news from the recent past with fictional storylines — while perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea — does an interesting job of infusing basic American values, ethics, horrifying real-life news and shifts in how society consumes information into the show. The result is a kind of gloomy utopia — or if you prefer, a cheery news purgatory.
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For example, this season, ACN is still nursing the wounds it suffered after the network reported a news story (Operation Genoa) about the U.S. military’s use of sarin gas in Pakistan. That story, which never happened in our reality, also never happened in the show’s reality. The Boston Marathon Bombing, which kicked off the current series, did happen, although has now shifted to a reporter verses the nation’s security apparatus story (fictional) with heavy echoes of the very real Edward Snowden, as well as a leaked report by the EPA, which, according to the show so far, is sounding the coming apocalypse as far as maintaining a livable planet is concerned.
Pretty gloomy stuff, right?
But fear not. The lead anchor, Will McAvoy (played by Jeff Daniels), along with his fearless generals behind him, in the forms of executive producer MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), ACN president Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston) and a slew of talented youngsters are here to tell you that everything is going to be all right — despite telling you the exact contrary a few minutes earlier. Yes, you can’t really trust the news anymore, and yes, the world is a dangerous and scary place, but honesty, integrity and hard work still mean something in the world of “The Newsroom.” Persevere, be true in your heart, and you shall be rewarded.
It’s a strange emotional mix. Every week, just like the real news, you know you’re going to learn about a lot of terrible stuff. And why do we need to know all of this terrible stuff? To be better informed, to feed news network viewership, for titillation or to fuel our varying prejudices? That’s a hard question to answer, but if you spend any time watching cable news, you could very well answer all of the above.
While the news, as addictive as it may be, can get you down, Sorkin, the creator of the show, almost always offers his viewers a silver lining. By leaving room for dreams of a better tomorrow (upheld by his righteous characters) among the never-ending lies, half-truths and violence brought to us every day via the news, all of that disheartening information (real and fictional) is a lot easier to take.
Carl Pettit is a contributing journalist for TheBlot Magazine.
