OSHER 30 - Journalism, Law and Ethics in the Movie

Journalists of all kinds have been featured as major characters in Hollywood movies. This course will analyze some legal and ethical issues facing journalists and see how those issues have been dramatized. As time permits we will view and discuss movies such as Call Northside 777 (1948); Ace in the Hole (1951); All the President's Men (1976); Absence of Malice (1981); The Pelican Brief (1993); The Insider (1999); Zodiac (2007); Nothing But the Truth (2008); State of Play (2009); The Company You Keep (2012); and Spotlight (2015). Class members will be responsible for viewing the weekly movies at home prior to class and come prepared for a lively discussion. Film clips will be widely used during class, including portions of the films reviewed as well as other related movies or documentaries. These movies can be obtained at the public libraries, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Xfinity On Demand (from Comcast), Netflix DVD, and other online sources.