Mad City
It is worth bearing in mind the way journalists work on a daily basis. Many work under intense pressure in noisy and overcrowded conditions. Contrary to the popular image of the old Fleet Street hack, most journalist work long hours, often for only modest salaries, and are generally very dedicated. They believe that they fulfill an important role in society, and take their responsibilities toward their readers and their media very seriously.Journalism is a tough, competitive profession that attracts some highly ambitious and intelligent people. In spite of this, there is rather an odd camaraderie among journalists. This is partly because the media, and journalists is general, are so often criticized that they feed a need to stick together.Curiously, journalists are rarely praised for their work, except by their fellow professionals. They have their own rules and conventions, such as protecting there sourced, which are often not fully appreciated or understood by the outside world. Journalism is indeed a very serious job. It is a job which you neither will nor know or even idea of the time and place you will be working on, and who are the people you will be dealing with when you are going to cover news about a certain issue. No one knows about it, but for sure when there is news, there are also journalists trying to do anything just to cover the event that’s happening. A life of a journalist is very pressure, the journalist cannot turn there back if ever there is news no matter how important there appointment is if there is a very important news to be cover they have to cover it whether they like it or not. Christmas, holy weeks, occasions, holidays is not an excuse for them, as we can see on the television in the midst of Christmas for example, still journalist are working, covering how many people were injured and also died because of explosives and so on it is a part of there life to bring news to the people . If you want to become a journalist, you must think a couple of times before deciding whether to pursue that profession or not. If you will enter the media industry you will face a lot of consequences of life, but if you are a dedicated journalist you will not mind how risky your work is but you will think of the people you are serving. You as a journalist will think of the people who need the news everyday because as a public servant you must do your duties and responsibilities even if you take a risk that lie ahead of you. We cannot deny the fact that there are lots of problems our media industry are facing the major problem right now is the nonstop killing of our media men. It greatly affect the industry because of the problem there are lots of our future men right now are worried which lead them to find another career in which there life will be in good hands. Still there are lots of aspiring media men who really want to pursue there career without a doubt because they have the principle in life that if its your time God want to get you even if you are in a very safe place still you have no escape from death if its your time. Journalism has a great impact in people’s life because of journalism or media, people are now well informed and aware of what is happening in our country today not just in our country but around the globe. Sometimes we just read an article without giving a salute to the writer, because of the writer you were able to know or you were able to inform by the help of the writer.As what had observed right now many parents blamed media because according to them media influences there children with the fact I heard a song entitled “Where is the love?” that was popularized by the Black Eyed Peas there is a line there that states “Wrong information always shown by the media”, it is a challenge for the media men and for the people the what is stated in that song is not true. That media is not a bad influence, etc. Media also right now is competing for the sake of rating and fame because of those companies or networks argue to each other where there is now job? There job is to protect people but why is it happening right now?I can relate a story about journalism; the movie is entitled “ Mad City ” starring John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman. The story is all about media which I don’t like the style of the media industry who have an exaggerate attitude. Networks in the movie are competing for the sake of fame and rating. They will do everything just to persuade viewers. They really don’t care about anything or something. They don’t care whether or not they already hurt others because of what they are reporting. As if they have no conscience, because of what they report about, they make the people panic more. They just put another problem to the people. What is important for them is to have the most updated news.The story started when the two journalists namely Max Brakett and Kevin Hollander was given a task by the famous and the big network station in their country they are working. The story or the news that they are going to cover is about the airplane crush in the sea. It so happen that Kevin Hollander made the story or covered the story as if no one will survive. He’s trying to conclude that it is impossible for the people inside the plane to survive, which makes the people or the family of the victim, panic.On the other hand Max Brakett covers the story or the news truthfully, he try to let the people especially the family of the victims in the plane crush to keep calm. He’s trying to say that everything would be alright at the end that everything is under control. Until it reached at the point that the two of them, Max and Kevin were great rivals in the network ever since.After what had happened, Max decided to cover news about a museum, especially the Museum of Natural History . He will cover the reason why the museum is presently facing a financial crisis with in fact the museum has only one security guard in person of Cliff which only proves that the museum is really facing financial crisis. Supposedly there were two security guards but because the owner of the museum who is Mrs. Banks cannot afford to pay for the salary, she decided to terminate the other guard who is Sam Bailey. He becomes problematic after he was terminated because he has no income anymore and he has a family which needs money to survive. Sam Bailey talked to Mrs. Banks, the worse is that Sam brought with him a shotgun and explosives and it is so harmful to bring those things inside because there are children inside.Sam bailey brought those things with him because according to him, he wants Mrs. Banks to listen to him. He wanted Mrs. Banks to let him work again because he badly needs the money for he has a family. Fortunately, Max Brakett was still inside the museum specifically in a certain room where he was lucky because there was a telephone inside the room. Max saw what Sam was doing, that Mrs. Banks and Sam were arguing and it reached to the point that Sam closed all the windows even the doors in the museum. In which it means no one can go outside the museum at that time. Lorrie connected Max on the live coverage news on the television. It was televised and the only source of the information by the people who are watching the television was Max because Max gave details to the viewers what is happening inside the museum.On the other hand Sam still argues with Mrs. Banks. He’s trying to convince Mrs. Banks to have his work again because he has a family who depends on him. Sam did not control hid emotions, he shot the gun and unfortunately he wounded Cliff, his partner in work but he did not mean to shot him, it just so happen that he did not control his emotions. The policemen were alarmed of what had happened so they decided to go to the museum and they make sure that everything will be controlled by them. Lorrie helped Cliff and Cliff was directly run to the hospital. Sam looked at the window and outside, he saw that there was a media van. He directly opened the television and there he saw on the television that what is happening inside was covered. Max still on going, giving the people information what is happening inside. Sam went to the room where Max is and there he caught Max. He let Max out of the room. Sam was out of his mind, he argued with Max. Then, Max keeps Sam to calm down.Max manipulated everything; he proposed an agreement to Sam. Max said to Sam that everything will be alright if he will just listen to him. So, Sam did so. The story was the most talked in the country. With in fact other people make it as a business. Max interviewed Sam’s close friend and Sam’s friend claimed that he was indeed a good man. Sam has now the good name in public. But the authority still insisted that Sam violated a policy and Sam must be in imprisoned. The authority made a negotiation with Sam’s wife. They let her wife call Sam and let Sam go outside and let the children free. Max did not know about what had happened. Sam looked at the television and there he saw his wife on television. When it comes to his wife, he is very sensitive. He refused to do what his wife is asking him. The wife still keep on asking him because Sam really did not like what had happened, he went up to the window with is gun and he shot and shot. The people panicked, so Max get inside the museum and he let Sam stop what he was doing. Sam is now again bad in he eyes of the public.Kevin Hollander on the other hand, went to Madeline, because he heard about the story of max and Sam. He wanted to report the story by himself. He was really insecure of Max, he do not want that Max will over power him. Kevin offered Max a show, magazine and etc., but failed to do so.Cliff was very pity because even if he is struggling to survive but there are media men who really insist to take him a video. The media men went to the hospital wearing nurses and doctor’s attire just to interview and just to take Cliff a video. Even the window in the hospital was opened by the media men just to cover him a video photage. This made his test not well. There came a time that the media really interviewed him despite the fact that Cliff is not capable of doing so, according to the doctor, he still needs more strength.Max again manipulated everything. He interviewed Sam on television just to let the people know that he is a good man. After that, Sam told a story to the children. As he was telling a story to the children inside the museum, the FBI was very unfortunate that they did not shot Sam instead, they shot the statue inside. Sam called the FBI and scolded them because according to Sam there are children inside, they might get hurt.When Sam and Max opened the television, they saw that the media was interviewing the wife of Cliff. The wife of Cliff did cry when she was interviewed and proclaimed that her husband Cliff died. He died after his interview because of cardiac arrest. After what they had seen on the television, Sam decided to let the children and Mrs. Banks out of the museum. Max insisted not to go out yet, but Sam commanded him to do so. So Max followed him. When Max is outside and when he was trying to convince the authority not to do anything. Max heard that Sam closed everything in the museum. Max told Sam to open but the museum blasted. Max survived and Lorrie approached him, after what had happened. She interviewed Max, she changed a lot from her shy world, and she turned out to be loose. The phrase that Max answered was that “We killed Him!” That was the ending of the story Max was being surrounded by so many reporters because he is now the center of the press. He is the very good target by them because he survived in the said blast and was the person who was with Sam at Sam’s very last minute.In a particular movie it is important to have a very nice character so that the audience will focus on the movie. The important also in a movie is the star that will play the role. The movie, Mad City did a great job upon looking for the characters and also for the one who will play the role of the character. The actors and actresses tried their very best just to make the movie nice and yet very exciting.The characters in the Movie are:Max Brackett – The role of Max Brackett in the movie is that he was a journalist. He was a calm type of journalist. He take things seriously, he was indeed a great man to his audience. I can say that he was nice to his audience because he always cover certain news with sympathy and compassion. He is friendly to the public. I cannot say that he was to become famous. All he is looking forward for is that he can protect people. He is a kind hearted man. He was the focus in the story because he was able to cover news or a hostage drama inside museum. He managed to interview the subject of the drama inside the museum. He manipulated everything in the story. He instructed the suspect to make friends with the public so that the public will have good perspectives on him despite the fact that he wounded his partner. It was really not his intention to shot the victim. It just happen that he accidentally shot the gun. He was indeed a nice person. Unlike the other by the suspect did not hurt anyone. He knows how to deal with a person, unlike other journalist. Sam Bailly – He was the security guard in the museum that was terminated by Mrs. Banks because she cannot anymore afford to have two security guards. He was the man who accidentally shot Cliff, the other security guard in the museum. He was the man who talked Mrs. Banks to convince her to let him have his job again as a security guard. When he talked with Mrs. Banks, he brought with him a shotgun and explosives because he wanted her to listen to him. Cliff – The security guard who was accidentally shot by Sam Bailey, when Sam argued with Mrs. Banks. Cliff was a good man; even if he was shot by Sam he is not angry with Sam at all. Cliff died because when he was yet in the hospital media men interviewed him which is not advisable because he needed more strength. He was not yet capable of having an interview. Laurie Callahan – She was the partner of Max Brackett who was once a conservative type but at the end she changed her personality or character, she wore her hair loosely and she is an intern. She was also like other reporter. Kevin Hollander – He was the rival of Max Brackett in the media industry. He was the one whom Max argued with. He was insecure with Max because Max has the very nice story which was the story of Sam Bailey at the museum of Natural History . He is not a good anchor because when he reports he is not humane and he insinuates something that people may lead to confusion. Mrs. Banks – She was the owner of the museum of Natural History . She was the one who was interviewed by Max because of the financial crisis issue that the museum is facing. She was the one whom Sam argued with because she terminated Sam Bailey for she cannot afford to pay for Sam’s salary.Jenny – she is Sam’s wife, she was not an understanding wife towards Sam because she let Sam out of the museum, and she should not suppose to do it because she knows that her husband is so sensitive to her. Of what he had done, her husband again made another violation. Cliff’s wife – She’s irresponsible, it is because she let the media men have an interview with her husband with in fact she was advised by the doctor of Cliff that he is not capable of having an interview yet because he still needs strength, but still his wife allowed the media men to have an interview with him. Sam’s mother – She’s a loving mother towards her son who is Sam. We can see in her face when she was interviewed by Lorrie. We can see the deepest sympathy he felt for her son. Children – They were the hostages in the story, but we cannot say that they were really hostages because they were treated by the suspect who was Sam well inside the museum, with in fact we can see the faces of the children there was no mark of sadness. They already felt good and comfortable being with Sam because they were treated nicely by him. Policemen/NBI/FBI – They were making the story more complicated. They made Sam more harass. They must listen to him first before doing anything that might lead the suspect to kill the hostages inside. The setting in the story focuses inside and outside the museum, also in the hospital. The setting was well chosen. The place speaks of what the story is all about unlike other movies which usually take place in the house. It was also nice that as communication major students, we can now see our future. We can now really think of what kind of journalist us maybe in the future. I think there are no problem with the setting and so with the characters because they are all familiar to us unlike other movies that were choosing a character and setting that not everyone cannot relate. At least the Mad City movie characters and setting is familiar which all of us can relate. The most exciting and thrilling moment in the story for me is when Sam’s wife was asking him to go out from the museum and let the children out. Sam is not mentally normal as we all know and he is very sensitive when it comes to his wife. He was a friend of the public before that event happened but because he was very sensitive to his wife. It was also because he saw his wife on the television; he cannot accept it that’s why he went up in the window and kept on shooting. After, that event the public did not like him again. His bad image in public was back because of what he did. It was the most exciting because if he did not do it there is a tendency that the authority will not give him a punishment, instead they will give him freedom. The denouement in the story is that when the wife of Cliff was interviewed and she was crying at the same time proclaiming that her husband died and after that said event, Sam let the children out in the museum. He also let Max out of the museum after that he closed the museum and the explosives that he brought, he let it explode inside the museum and after that said blast, Max was the center of the issue and he was the target of the media at that time because he was the last person whom Sam talked with and after Sam lat the explosives explode inside the said museum. He knows everything about Sam, if what is the reason why Sam exploded the museum. When Max was interviewed the only phrase he answered was “We killed him!” The portrayal of Max as a journalist in the story or movie was good. It was not an easy portrayal especially when he was inside the museum, when Sam caught him that he was the one who covers what is happening inside the museum. Still Max had a great job as a journalist. He was able to deal with a person who is not mentally normal who was Sam Bailey. After a simple talk by Max Brackett to Sam Bailey, they became good friends and Sam listened to what Max will let him do so. The qualities that I like in him are the being humane, soul and ethical when reporting. He is a journalist in which many people would listen to him for he is full of gentleness. He is not just working as a journalist alone but also as a friend to many people who are in need, people who needs sympathy. He does not accept offers that will lead him to become famous and rich. He is contented of what he has for a long as he can help others. He has no bad motives when covering a certain issue just like the Museum of Natural History , hostage drama. The arguments of mass media influenced Sam Bailey greatly because, of them Sam cannot think well of what he would do. He can see on the television, different Medias with different reports. He cannot understand what is happening and the worst is that he had a mental illness; the viewers really cannot judge him actually for his mental thinking is not normal. The media’s influenced was not positive on his perception because of those influences his mind is always in doubt. If I was given a chance to become Max Brackett in the film, without any doubt I will surely do what he had done in the film. As a journalist and as a profession, I must and should take the risk because I was the one who chose to become a journalist in which I knew what are the consequences when I enter to he said profession. I’m doing my job. It is said that if there is news where it may be a journalist must be there to cover what is happening. Just like what had happen in the film when Max covered the hostage drama inside the museum, it was not easy. It was very risky on his part, he did not know who the person behind the hostage drama is but because it was his duty and obligation t, he did mind it; the important for him is he did his job as a journalist. When he manipulated everything, he was not doing it for his career, he was doing it for the goodness of Sam and for Sam’s Family and also for the people so that they will understand Sam’s situation despite the fact that he violated the law. Kevin Hollander had a different treatment on the news about Sam Bailey as a hostage taker in them movie. He was also like the other journalist in the story, they reported unethically. They just made focus in the negative side of the story. He just made Sam’s image to be bad in the public, unlike Max, he was very humane, ethical and soul. When he will report, he was more positive when reporting. If he had a chance, he will be the one to answer the questions that was thrown to Sam when Sam had a one on one interview because it might be misinterpreted by the public which will affect greatly Sam’s image to the public. The media’s impact on Cliff was not good because of the media, Cliff died early. It is because when Cliff was in the hospital, he cannot rest well because media will really find a way just to reach him. H was bothered by the media. The fact is he was struggling to be back to normal but media really affecting him greatly. Media men will disguise as a doctor or nurse just to have an interview to Cliff and that is something that ca really bother Cliff. The change of Lorrie’s personality or character was very amazing. She turn out to become a loosely hair woman from a simple Lorrie to a wild and strange Lorrie, she’s an intern. She really changed a lot not just in the way she carries her body but also the way she deal with anybody. She can now also be compared to the media in the movie. “We killed Him” was the phrase said by Max, Probably to the media after the museum collapsed because it was exploded by Sam after he had seen the television that Cliff died. Max survived to the blast and because he survived, he was the center of the media and at the same time the target of them. Hence, he was the last person whom Sam talked with and because of that he was expected to have known everything why did Sam decided to let the dynamite explode inside the museum and the worse, Sam was inside the museum. “We Killed Him phrase was indeed a true statement. It was because of the media men why Sam Bailey died. They were the reason behind the context because as we all know Sam is ignorant. Sam did not know what he's going to do after he had seen on the television the wife of Cliff proclaiming that Cliff died. The reason that lie behind the death of Cliff was because of the media of course who else. The doctor of Cliff told Cliff's wife that Cliff was not capable of having an interview but the wife still let the media interview her husband because the media was also keep on insisting to have an interview with Cliff. After the interview Cliff died because of Cardiac arrest. Just to be direct, the phrase “We Killed Him” means that the media is the main reason why Sam died. Supposedly the role of the media is to protect and conserve the people but in the movie it was very opposite I am just hoping that the movie will serve as a reflection to us aspiring media men. We are hoping that it will not happen in our country. It is a very big question mark for us aspiring media men. Mad City film was not really as terrible as it was just plain boring. The film goes on for a little under two hours, with nothing new to add to the dozens of hostage films that Hollywood has spewed out over the years. Yes, it does attempt to show us how destructive the media can be in many such situations, but then again, don't we hear about that crap on the nightly news every other evening? The umpteen shots of a "rush" of reporters/cameramen leaping onto innocent victims of news story also got boring quick I got the point of the director why he decided to come up with the very nice film as Mad City .We have to bear always in our mind what St. Ignatius of Loyola summarized perfectly in his first Principle and Foundation that: “Man is created to praise, reverence and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. The other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him in attaining the end for which he is created. Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they help him in the attainment of his end, and he must rid himself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance to him”...
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