Absence of Malice is a film about a Miami liquor wholesaler, the son of a deceased criminal, who is at the center of the disappearance and assumed murder of a longshoreman union official, Joseph Diaz. The title of the movie refers to defamation of character. This is centered on a news reporter, Megan Carter, who is fighting to advance her career. In doing so, she severely hurts people around her through unethical decision-making and journalistic sins.
One key error Carter made was not contacting Gallagher before she released the story about him. She was supposed to call him and see what he had to say about the allegations she was going to make in her article. However, she did not; and she released highly speculative information about Gallagher that created much unwanted attention for him. She should have repeatedly called Gallagher and left multiple messages; or perhaps, left a copy of the story at his place of business. A reporter must be persistent in attempting to contact the private individual that he or she is releasing a report about. This allows the target of the story to defend him or herself, correct any blaring errors, and make any appropriate comments. Gallagher, like any private individual, can sue the reporter and the newspaper service for defamation of character.
The former error pales in comparison to the one including Teresa Perrone’s name and the details of her story in an article in the paper. Under much emotional stress and being badgered by Carter, Perrone told Carter intimate details about, what could be, Gallagher’s potential alibi. At time the Diaz went missing, Gallagher was with Carter in Atlanta, where she had had an abortion. Megan Carter was so focused on proving Gallagher’s innocence, or lack of involvement, with Diaz, that she went against Perrone’s wishes to not be mentioned in the paper. Carter went against her own morals, ethical boundaries, as well as those expected from a journalist of a major newspaper. After Perrone’s wishes were ignored and the story was published, she committed suicide.
I am still uncertain if Megan’s relationship with Michael Gallagher was genuine. Was it mere infatuation? Love? Or was it simply using him to benefit from more intimate details surrounding the story. There is, perhaps, some interplay between all of the abovementioned questions.
-Shaun
