Journalists are some of the most important people in the world. They are the reason we learn what’s going on across the nation and globe and fight to spread the truth to the average person. Without journalists, our eyes would have goggles and we would blindly believe everything our leaders would tell us. Since the early 1900’s, journalists have helped shape how the United States takes on change, for better and for worse. According to the History of American Journalism, “Yellow Journalism” was coined as “a time when many determined journalists exposed corruption in government, the unfair treatment of factory workers, and the privileges of the upper class.” These journalists were called “muckrakers” and their stories helped create new food and labor laws that are still important today. The corruption of big companies were revealed as well as of the government. Till this day, journalists are using the same principles they did over one hundred years ago to spread the truth, for the good and the safety of the people.

In a time where the importance of proof for reporting news is bigger than ever, the relevance of the story of Stephen Glass’ fabrication becomes even greater. The 2003 film, “Shattered Glass” gives a dramatic look into the fall of a major journalist after having to admit to fabricating many of his stories. With Hayden Christensen as the lead, we take a look into the arrogance and weakness of Stephen Glass that eventually brought him to his downfall. This film deals head on with real-life issues as well as the importance of ethics in professional journalism. While looking into the the complicated life of Stephen Glass, as a viewer, you can’t help but get addicted to understanding his complex mind and why he is the way he is. This film is definitely one to watch.

Alan Pakula’s 1976 film “All the President’s Men” goes deep into the investigation by the two journalists, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward of the infamous Watergate scandal. This movie was made after the book with the same name. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman star in the film as Bernstein and Woodward. Watching this film in 2017, this film has all the charm of a 70’s film, while getting down to its true purpose of unraveling Watergate. With the real life scandal itself only happening a few years prior to the release of this film, this film did an excellent job of laying out all the details and painting the difficulties both journalists had to deal with while trying to uncover President Nixon and the numerous others involved. This thriller is a must-watch, especially for the history buffs that want an intimate look into the uncovering of this scandal!

“Spotlight,” a film by Tom McCarthy stars big names, Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton. The film is set in the early 2000’s, discussing the The Boston Globe’s “spotlight team,” that writes investigative articles. Ruffalo, Keaton and others making up the spotlight team take on and try to uncover a 1970’s case of a child molestation case within a Catholic church that soon became hushed as the priest was released. This drama is filled with constant ups and downs of the spotlight team, trying to obtain justice for the children that were victims of the Church. Mark Ruffalo is phenomenal, as his character shines throughout-this could be one of his best performances yet. This film brings an unfortunate true story into audience’s faces, digging deep into the root of these horrific crimes. “Spotlight” is definitely a must watch, especially for those who appreciate the integration of real life crime into the big screen.

The importance of news outlets has never been higher. With our own president attacking all media outlets and the buzz of “fake news,” there is a heavy trust issue with all news outlets. Today, reporters and journalists have to work harder to back everything that they say, to avoid having a “big, orange finger” pointed toward them, discrediting everything they report to the people. Even according to the Morning Consult Survey, the Hill reports that “thirty-seven percent trust the White House versus 29 percent who favor the political media.” How can this be, in the Trump administration? Well, as Hasan Minhaj said in his Correspondents dinner speech, “Maybe it is because we are living in this strange time where trust is more important than truth.” In a journalist’s point of view, these statistics should not be the case as it is a journalist’s job to gain the public’s trust in their work, while reporting the truth. However, there is good that comes from the friction between the two sides. Big news outlets are forced to report the news in the most credible way possible, which is a very positive thing for the American people. Readers are learning who they can trust and are starting to regain their trust back with certain companies. Journalists will be kept at a high standard to follow an honor system, that keeps them in check with the values of journalism, while the people will be able to get their news without worrying about reading or hearing false information.