The Mission - Experts & Interviews - Preview

A Neal Cortell Documentary

There are those who remember hearing the cries of “extra, extra” from street corners and their family getting its first TV. Neighbors, co-workers and citizens throughout the nation relied on the same small group of trusted journalists to get their news with clearly delineated separation of editorial opinion.

There is now an “instant access generation” with hundreds of news channels and seemingly unlimited venues to gather information of any sort, on any subject.

The older might long for more civil times and old fashion journalistic integrity. The younger may be wholly unfamiliar with true journalism and the critical distinction between quantity and quality.

Are we better off now or then and how did we get here?

Neal Cortell brings a career of over 35-years in journalism and television mediums. Mr. Cortell’s latest project entitled, THE MEDIA is an independent documentary examining American News and its shift from trusted purveyor of truth to anything but. How did we go from the hallowed days of Edward R. Murrow, Douglas Edwards, Peter Jennings, Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, to today’s growing distrust and contempt of the news? Why did we go from three networks to six giant corporations controlling an estimated 90% of our media and from even-tempered treatment on TV and Radio to fluffy news light and cheap shouting attacks overloaded with commercials? What impact has 25-years of deregulation had on news gathering as we know it today?

THE MEDIA features renowned journalists of the past and present, interwoven with analysts, academics, regulators and activist that ponder the current state and future of news and the internet.

The 90-minute (86:46) production was shot on High Definition and Digital shooting formats, edited on an Avid Adrenalin, and mastered on HD Cam, DV Cam, and Beta SP. This original documentary was produced in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Florida, and Washington, DC.

The journey is traced with commentary from those who participate in an impressive array of roles. A wide range of viewpoints are explored, issues are deliberated regarding Television, Cable TV, and Print, questions are raised about the Internet, and varying opinions are proffered about the current state and future of this medium so critical to the proper function of a truly democratic society.

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Experts & Interviews

•Peter Jennings, ABC News
•Noam Chomsky, MIT Professor, author & lecturer
•Ben Bagdikian, U.C. Berkeley Dean & Author of “New Media Monopoly”
•Phil Donahue, TV Talk Host & Film Producer, “Body of War”
•Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News, Anchor & Managing Editor
•Cokie Roberts, ABC & NPR Analyst, author of “Founding Mothers”
•Jeff Greenfield, CBS News, Senior Political Correspondent
•Ted Koppel, Discovery Channel & Former ABC News
•Keith Olbermann, MSNBC Anchor of “Count-Down”
•William Wheatley, Jr., Former NBC News & Neiman Foundation, Harvard
•Bill Baker, PBS & WNET Boards, Harvard Kennedy School of Government & Columbia Univ.
•Norman Lear, Act III Communications, Creator, Producer & Writer
•David Bushman, Paley Center for Media, Curator
•Andrew Kohut, Pew Research Center, D.C.
•Naomi Klein, Lecturer & Author, “The Shock Doctrine”
•Jeremy Scahill, Investigative Journalist, Author of “Blackwater”
•John Quelch, Harvard Professor & Co-Author of “Greater Good”
•Richard Parker, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Professor
•Noam Chomsky, MIT Professor, Linguist, Philosopher, Author & Lecturer
•Ellen Hume, MIT Civic Media & Authored, "Tabloids, Talk Radio and Future of News"
•David Sirota, MNNBC Commentator & Author, “The Uprising”
•Pat Buchanan, Newspaper Columnist & Author, “State Of Emergency”
•Glenn Greenwald, Salon Blogger & Author, “Great American Hypocrites”
•David Brock, “Media Matters” & Author of "Blinded by the Right”
•Al Franken, Former Talk Host & Author of “Recount Primer”
•Sean Hannity, Fox Cable & ABC Talk Host
•Mike Barnicle, MSNBC Commentator & Contributor, NBC Today”
•G. Gordon Liddy, Radio Talk Show Host & Political Strategist
•Laura Ingraham, Talk Host & Contributor, “Fox News Channel”
•Katrina vanden Heuvel, “The Nation,” Editor & Publisher
•Michael Wolff, Author & Media Commentator of “Vanity Fair”
•Chellie Pingree, Former Common Cause, CEO & U. S. Congress
•Malia Lazu, Gathering Project, co-author “Get Stupid White Men Out of Office.”
•Bob Grant, National Syndicated Radio Talker
•Heidi Harris, National Radio Talk Host
•Michael Harrison, “Talkers Magazine,” Publisher
•Steve Shephard, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, Dean, NYC
•Janet Kolodzy, Emerson College, Professor of Journalism, Boston
•David Bank, Media Analyst, Royal Bank of Canada
•Tuna Amobi, Media Analyst, Standard & Poor’s
•Isabel MacDonald, FAIR, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
•Joel Silberman, Political & Media Advisor
•David Tereshuk, “The Media Beat,” Columnist
•David Carr, New York Times, Media Business Columnist
•Stewart Elliott, New York Times, Marketing & Media Columnist
•Andrew Lippman, Professor MIT Media Labs
•Dr. David Clark, MIT Computer Science
•Richard Wald, Commentator Columbia University
•Todd Gitlin, Professor Columbia University
•Christopher Bannon, WNYC/NPR Radio & Website

Additional Comments

•Barbara Walters, ABC News & “The View”
•Roger Mudd, CBS News Correspondent & NBC News Anchor
•Walter Cronkite, CBS News Anchor & Commentator
•Tom Brokaw, NBC Commentator & Author, “Boom”
•Tim Robbins, Actor & Political Activist
•Jonathan S. Adelstein, FCC Commissioner

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Preview

To see a preview of this documentary please visit the Video page on this website.

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