Films About Media Corruption
Media corruption refers to the manipulation, bias, and unethical practices that can occur within the journalism and entertainment industries, often leading to misinformation and a loss of public trust. Films exploring this theme delve into the complexities of truth, power, and the role of media in shaping public perception. They often highlight the struggle between integrity and sensationalism, showcasing the consequences of corruption on individuals and society as a whole.
Notable Films About Media Corruption
“Network”, 1976
Director: Sidney Lumet
This satirical drama follows a news anchor who, after being fired, becomes a sensational figure by expressing his outrage on live television. The film critiques the television industry’s prioritization of ratings over ethical journalism.
Starring: Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Robert Duvall, Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty, Arthur Burghardt, Bill Burrows, John Carpenter, Jordan Charney, Kathy Cronkite, Ed Crowley, Jerome Dempsey, Conchata Ferrell, Gene Gross, Stanley Grover, Cindy Grover, Darryl Hickman, Mitchell Jason, Paul Jenkins, Ken Kercheval, Kenneth Kimmins, Lynn Klugman, Carolyn Krigbaum, Zane Lasky, Michael Lipton, Michael Lombard, Pirie MacDonald, Russ Petranto, Bernard Pollock, Roy Poole, William Prince, Sasha von Scherler, Lane Smith, Ted Sorel, Beatrice Straight, Fred Stuthman, Cameron Thomas, Marlene Warfield, Lydia Wilen, Lee Richardson, Robert P. Cohen, Walter Cronkite, Andrew Duncan, Todd Everett, Betty Ford, Gerald Ford, John Gabriel, Tom Gibney, Lance Henriksen;
Production year: 1976;
Genre: drama;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 121 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 8,1;
More information about the film “Network” on the website imdb.com
“The Insider”, 1999
Director: Michael Mann
Based on true events, this film depicts a whistleblower from the tobacco industry who exposes corporate corruption and the media's complicity in suppressing the truth. It explores the moral dilemmas faced by journalists and the consequences of exposing powerful interests.
Starring: Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Philip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse, Debi Mazar, Stephen Tobolowsky, Colm Feore, Bruce McGill, Gina Gershon, Michael Gambon, Rip Torn, Lynne Thigpen, Hallie Eisenberg, Michael Paul Chan, Linda Hart, Robert Harper, Nestor Serrano, Pete Hamill, Wings Hauser, Cliff Curtis, Renee Olstead, Mike Moore, Gary Sandy, Willie C. Carpenter, Paul Butler, Jack Palladino, Megan Odebash, Roger Bart, Alan Desatti, Sayed Badreya, Chris Ufland, Douglas McGrath, Bill Sage, Joseph Hindy, Dennis Garber, Tim Grimm, Paul Perri, Wanda De Jesus, Robert Patrick Brink, Vincent Foster, James Harper, Eyal Podell, Breckin Meyer, David Roberson, Gregg E. Muravchick, William P. Bradford, David Clyde Carr, Ann Reskin;
Production year: 1999;
Genre: thriller, drama, biography;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 157 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,8;
More information about the film “The Insider” on the website imdb.com
“All the President's Men”, 1976
Director: Alan J. Pakula
This political thriller chronicles the investigative journalism of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they uncover the Watergate scandal. It highlights the importance of a free press in holding power accountable and the dangers of media manipulation.
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, Meredith Baxter, Ned Beatty, Stephen Collins, Penny Fuller, John McMartin, Robert Walden, Frank Wills, F. Murray Abraham, David Arkin, Henry Calvert, Dominic Chianese, Bryan Clark, Nicolas Coster, Lindsay Crouse, Valerie Curtin, Gene Dynarski, Nate Esformes, Ron Hale, Richard Herd, Polly Holliday, James Karen, Paul Lambert, Frank Latimore, Gene Lindsey, Anthony Mannino, Allyn Ann McLerie, James Murtaugh, John O'Leary, Jess Osuna, Neva Patterson, George Pentecost, Penny Peyser, Joshua Shelley, Sloane Shelton, Lelan Smith, Jaye Stewart, Ralph Williams, George Wyner, Leroy Aarons, Donnlynn Bennett, Stanley Bennett Clay, Carol Coggin, Laurence Covington;
Production year: 1976;
Genre: thriller, drama, history;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 138 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,9;
More information about the film “All the President's Men” on the website imdb.com
“Wag the Dog”, 1997
Director: Barry Levinson
A dark comedy about a spin doctor and a Hollywood producer who fabricate a war to distract the public from a presidential scandal. The film satirizes the relationship between politics and media, illustrating how narratives can be manufactured.
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Woody Harrelson, Denis Leary, Willie Nelson, Andrea Martin, Michael Belson, Suzanne Cryer, John Michael Higgins, Suzie Plakson, Kirsten Dunst, Jason Cottle, David Koechner, Harland Williams, Sean Masterson, William H. Macy, Bernard Hocke, Jenna Byrne, Maurice Woods, Roebuck «Pops» Staples, Phil Morris, Chris Ellis, Ed Morgan, J. Patrick McCormack, Jennifer Manley, Edrie Warner, Richard Lawson, Drena De Niro, Alberto Vazquez, Stephanie Kemp, Jack Esformes, John Cho, Michael Reid Davis, Brant Cotton, Kenneth Kern, Michelle Levinson, Ron McCoy, Derek Morgan, Garry R. Roleder, Merle Haggard, James Belushi, George Gaynes, Rick Scarry, Cliff B. Howard, Furley Lumpkin, Sean Fenton, Nikki Crawford, John Franklin, Kevin Furlong;
Production year: 1997;
Genre: drama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 97 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,1;
More information about the film “Wag the Dog” on the website imdb.com
“The Post”, 2017
Director: Steven Spielberg
This historical drama follows The Washington Post's decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, exposing government secrets about the Vietnam War. It underscores the role of journalism in safeguarding democracy and the risks of challenging powerful institutions.
Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys, Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, Jesse Plemons, David Cross, Zach Woods, Pat Healy, John Rue, Rick Holmes, Philip Casnoff, Jessie Mueller, Stark Sands, Michael Cyril Creighton, Will Denton, Deirdre Lovejoy, Michael Devine, Kelly Miller, Jennifer Dundas, Austyn Johnson, Brent Langdon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Deborah Green, Gary Wilmes, Christopher Innvar, Luke Slattery, Justin Swain, Robert G. McKay, Sasha Spielberg, Bryan Burton, Coral Peña, Dan Bittner, Kenneth Tigar, David Aaron Baker, Gannon McHale, Kevin Loreque, Francis Dumaurier, Stephen Mailer, Ned Noyes, John Henry Cox, Dan Bucatinsky, David Costabile, Johanna Day, Annika Boras;
Production year: 2017;
Genre: thriller, drama, biography, history;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 116 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,2;
More information about the film “The Post” on the website imdb.com
“Nightcrawler”, 2013
Director: Dan Gilroy
This thriller tells the story of a driven man who enters the world of freelance crime journalism. It raises ethical questions about sensationalism and the lengths to which individuals will go for a story, leading to disturbing consequences.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton, Michael Papajohn, Marco Rodríguez, James Huang, Kent Shocknek, Pat Harvey, Sharon Tay, Rick Garcia, Leah Fredkin, Bill Seward, Rick Chambers, Holly Hannula, Jonathan Coyne, Nick Chacon, Kevin Dunigan, Eric Lange, Alex Ortiz Jr., Carolyn Gilroy, Kevin Rahm, Ann Cusack, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Christina de Leon, Juan M. Fernández, Dig Wayne, Myra Turley, Merritt Bailey, Lisa Remillard, Jamie McShane, Manuel Lujan, Christopher Wolfe, Michael Hyatt, Price Carson, Artur, Bill Blair, Aaron Bledsoe, Greg Caldwell, Viviana Chavez, Tyler Cole, Emily Dahm, Chad Guerrero, Jason Heymann, Liz Imperio, Danny Kaye, David Dustin Kenyon, Jeffrey James Lippold, Anne McDaniels, Sandra Rosko;
Production year: 2013;
Genre: thriller, drama, crime;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 118 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,8;
“Shattered Glass”, 2003
Director: Billy Ray
Based on the real-life story of Stephen Glass, a young journalist who fabricated numerous articles for a major magazine. The film examines the pressures of the media industry and the implications of dishonesty in journalism.
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgaard, Chloë Sevigny, Rosario Dawson, Melanie Lynskey, Hank Azaria, Steve Zahn, Mark Blum, Simone-Elise Girard, Chad Donella, Jamie Elman, Luke Kirby, Cas Anvar, Linda E. Smith, Ted Kotcheff, Owen Roth, Bill Rowat, Michele Scarabelli, Terry Simpson, HoJo Rose, Louis Philippe Dandenault, Morgan Kelly, Christian Tessier, James Berlingieri, Brett Watson, Andrew Airlie, Russell Yuen, Pierre Leblanc, Pauline Little, Kim Taschereau, Phillip Cole, Mark Camacho, Ian Blouin, Lynne Adams, Caroline Goodall, Brittany Drisdelle, Isabelle Champeau, Sean Cullen;
Production year: 2003;
Genre: drama, biography, history;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 99 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,1;
More information about the film “Shattered Glass” on the website imdb.com
“The Fifth Estate”, 2013
Director: Bill Condon
This biographical drama portrays the rise of WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange, as they expose government secrets. It explores the impact of digital journalism on traditional media and the ethical dilemmas surrounding transparency and privacy.
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, David Thewlis, Alicia Vikander, Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Mackie, Peter Capaldi, Moritz Bleibtreu, Jamie Blackley, Dan Stevens, Carice van Houten, Alexander Siddig, Anatole Taubman, Alexander Beyer, Philip Bretherton, Ludger Pistor, Michael Kranz, Christin Nichols, Christoph Franken, Ben Rook, Lucinda Raikes, Marleen Lohse, Sylvia Rohrer, Michael Culkin, Axel Milberg, Joseph Kinyua Muriuki, Peter King Nzioki, Lukas Piloty, Thomas Ancora, Phil Kaiser, Jeany Spark, John Schwab, Lisa Kreuzer, Philipp Langenegger, Cornelia Ivancan, Martin Glade, Franziska Walser, Edgar Selge, Michael Jibson, Lydia Leonard, William French, Darren Evans, Kyle Soller, Nigel Whitmey, Sonya Cassidy, Chris McKinney, John Moraitis, Christian Contreras, Camilla Rutherford;
Production year: 2013;
Genre: thriller, drama, crime, biography;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 128 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6,2;
More information about the film “The Fifth Estate” on the website imdb.com
“Broadcast News”, 1987
Director: James L. Brooks
A romantic comedy-drama that follows the lives of three news reporters as they navigate the challenges of their careers and personal relationships, highlighting the tension between journalistic integrity and the pursuit of ratings.
Starring: William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, Robert Prosky, Lois Chiles, Joan Cusack, Peter Hackes, Christian Clemenson, Jack Nicholson, Robert Katims, Ed Wheeler, Stephen Mendillo, Kimber Shoop, Dwayne Markee, Gennie James, Leo Burmester, Amy Brooks, Jane Welch, Jonathan Benya, Frank Doubleday, Sally Knight, Manuel Alvarez, Luis Valderrama, Francisco García, Richard Thomsen, Nat Benchley, Marita Geraghty, Nicholas D. Blanchet, Maura Moynihan, Chuck Lippman, Nannette Rickert, Timothy W. White, Peggy Pridemore, Emily Crowley, Gerard Ender, David Long, Joshua Billings, Glenn Faigen, Robert Grevemberg Jr., Richard Pehle, James V. Franco, Jimmy Mel Green, Raoul N. Rizik, Mike Skehan, Franklyn L. Bullard, Glen Roven, Marc Shaiman, Alex Mathews, Steve Smith, Martha Smith;
Production year: 1987;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 133 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,3;
More information about the film “Broadcast News” on the website imdb.com
“The Killers”, 1946
Director: Robert Siodmak
This neo-noir film weaves a narrative about a journalist investigating the murder of a former boxer, exposing the corrupt media landscape and the impact of sensational reporting on people's lives.
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, Albert Dekker, Sam Levene, Vince Barnett, Virginia Christine, Jack Lambert, Charles D. Brown, Donald MacBride, Charles McGraw, William Conrad, Ernie Adams, Audley Anderson, George Anderson, Sam Ash, Frank Baker, Brooks Benedict, John Berkes, Edward Biby, Harry Brown, Phil Brown, Jack Cheatham, James Conaty, Jeff Corey, Gino Corrado, Noel Cravat, Oliver Cross, Rex Dale, Neal Dodd, Mike Donovan, Howard Freeman, Dick Gordon, Robert Haines, Michael Hale, Sam Harris, Harry Hayden, Al Hill, George Hoagland, James W. Horan, Geoffrey Ingham, Kenner G. Kemp, Paul Kruger, Ethan Laidlaw, Mike Lally, Perc Launders, Nolan Leary, Vera Lewis, Jack Lomas;
Production year: 1946;
Genre: film noir, drama, crime, detective;
Age: 18+;
Duration: 103 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,7;
More information about the film “The Killers” on the website imdb.com
These films provide a lens through which viewers can examine the intricate relationships between media, power, and ethics, and reflect on the societal implications of media corruption.
In this selection of films about media corruption, we are confronted with the harsh realities of the media industry and its potential for ethical compromise. From the gripping drama of “Network” to the chilling exposé in “Good Night, and Good Luck,” these films shed light on the power struggles and moral dilemmas that plague the media landscape. “Nightcrawler” and “Broadcast News” further delve into the complexities of journalistic integrity and the blurred lines between sensationalism and truth. As the credits roll, these films leave us with a sobering reminder of the delicate balance between the pursuit of truth and the seduction of sensationalism in the world of media.
