A three-part series of programs using films to examine the role of the press in a democratic society is currently running at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
The three “Journalism at the Movies” programs are all scheduled for 6 p.m. in Room 102 of Hibbard Hall. The series is free and open to the public.
Each of the films is being hosted by a student in a UW-EC Honors Program course. The series is part of the week featuring the university’s Communication and Journalism department, in connection with UW-Eau Claire’s ongoing Centennial celebration.
The Communication and Journalism week will culminate on Thursday, April 27 with the annual Ann Devroy Memorial Forum. This year’s speaker will be Jenna Johnson, a Washington Post political reporter who will talk about “The Trump Movement: telling stories of Americans who made him president.”
Each of the three films in the movie series will feature a brief student introduction. Following the film, audience members can participate in small-group discussions and share ideas about the film, the news media and journalism.
Remaining screening dates and films in the series are:
Wednesday, April 26: “Frost/Nixon.” Released in 2008, this British-American film directed by Ron Howard tells the story behind the 1977 post-Watergate interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former President Richard Nixon. Controversial at the time because of several historical inaccuracies, the fictional movie nonetheless offers standout performances by Frank Langella, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Nixon, and Michael Sheen, who captures David Frost’s ambition to jumpstart a flagging TV career.
Monday, May 1: “All the President’s Men” is known for launching many a journalistic career. The story of two young Washington Post reporters whose relentless reporting leads to the nation’s largest political scandal and the end of the Nixon presidency is a tale of classic journalism. Directed by Alan J. Pakula, the 1976 film tells the story of the Watergate scandal investigation by Post journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward.
The series began on Monday with the showing of “Good Night, and Good Luck,” starring George Clooney, David Strathairn, Robert Downey Jr. and Patricia Clarkson. This 2005 historical drama, directed by Clooney, portrays the conflict between veteran radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisconsin) in the 1950s.
For more information about the “Journalism at the Movies” film series, contact Prof. Jan Larson, interim chair of UW-EC’s Communication and Journalism department, at 715-836-4314 or larsoja@uwec.edu.