In the beginning of class, I was very happy that we were going to watch this film because I had never heard of it before. I found it to be compelling and I was constantly going through the plot in my head as I watched. Also, another important reason why I liked it is the obvious connection it had to our class as it contained important concepts that we have been focusing on.
The fact that the story centered around defamation and in particular, libel, was important because it provided our class with a visual representation of these crimes. The film was an example for us of what to do and what not to do in that particular situation that the Miami Standard and Megan Carter found themselves in.
Megan Carter made serious errors when working. The most important mistakes:
- Failure to contact Michael Gallagher before her initial piece on him for the Miami Standard
- Therese Perrone Matter—She failed to adhere to Perrone’s wishes about not having her name printed in the paper
At the end of the movie, I felt terrible and really sad because this story was so similar to something that happened in my own life regarding a local newspaper and news media companies here in the Capital Region. Many years ago, the death of a family member caused unwanted media attention and further, it caused unwarranted speculation in the media. Because it played out in the media, it was a terrible feeling having people see these things in the paper resulting in those people making their own conclusions and disrespecting me and my family in the process. I know how it feels to wake up, go to the store or school, and see your personal business out in the open, for everyone to see. It’s a heartbreaking feeling, especially when it isn’t true. The media needs to be very careful when reporting. They also need to double-check everything. This movie just serves as a serious reminder of this.
