![]() ![]() Whether or not the portrayal of these specific journalists is true, it should be used as a reminder to any students studying journalism that what they report on affects living and breathing people, just like them.Īn editing course I took last semester encouraged me to watch “Richard Jewell.” And I believe it unlocked productive discourse amongst my classmates about newsroom ethics.īut there was one thing that shocked me during our discussion. However, he forgoes any emphasis on accuracy to give into the sense of urgency filling his newsroom. In one scene, the editor in chief of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution begins to question his reporters’ sources. The movie “Richard Jewell” portrays the editor-in-chief and the reporters involved as eager to be the first to publish their insider information. But it is also a journalist’s job to know what truth its audience needs to hear and at what time. It is a journalist’s job to report the truth, even if no one believes it. This kept him in the spotlight longer than he would have been without press intervention. Once the public knew that he was a suspect, they had to investigate Jewell further. Everything in the news stays in at least one person’s memory.Įven though the FBI was looking into Richard Jewell as a possible suspect, the media coverage of their investigation forced their hand. Journalists, like myself, must remember that our audiences don’t have short-term memory loss. Print newspapers are tossed or used as fire starter the next day, but the headlines they bear do not disappear into smoke. Those who recognized his name, like my mother, said that they associated his name with terrorism. But that doesn’t change what the public thought of him.Īfter watching the movie and researching the story, I asked several people in my family if they recognized the name Richard Jewell. ![]() He was never formally charged and was exonerated on Oct. They labelled him a “person-of-interest” and camped out outside the home he shared with his mother. Other news organizations followed, and for the following weeks, the media circuit aggressively focused on Jewell. Three days later, The Atlantic Journal-Constitution revealed that the FBI was treating Jewell as a possible suspect because he fit the “lone bomber” criminal profile. However, the media coverage of the aftermath quickly took a turn. The explosion injured more than 100 spectators, including Hawthorne’s daughter, Fallon.Īt first, the news commended Jewell for his bravery and deemed the security guard a hero for sounding the alarm. Only 13 minutes after his discovery, the bombs exploded.Īlice Hawthorne, who attended the concert with her youngest daughter, died as a result of the explosion at 1:20 a.m. He alerted fellow security guards and began clearing the area. While working as a security guard for a Jack Mack and the Heart Attack performance in Centennial Olympic Park, the real-life Richard Jewell discovered a suspicious bag hidden under a bench. Newsroom ethics, trusting sources, women in journalism and Hollywood’s perspective on journalists are just a few of its themes. But the most notable reaction to the film was the controversy regarding its portrayal of the late reporter Kathy Scruggs. “Richard Jewell” raked in award nominations and wins at the Golden Globes, Academy Awards and National Board of Review Awards. The film was partially inspired by the 1997 Vanity Fair article “ American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell” written by investigative journalist Marie Brenner, who interviewed Jewell. The 2019 biographical drama “Richard Jewell” revisits old conversations and opens up new ones that should engage all journalists and students studying journalism.ĭirected and produced by Clint Eastwood and written by Billy Ray, the movie depicts the July 27 Centennial Olympic Park Bombing and the media circus surrounding security guard Richard Jewell that followed it. The 2019 biographical drama "Richard Jewell" explores controversial themes such as newsroom ethics and women in journalism. ![]()
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