In class we watched episodes from The Newsroom and got a taste of what actually goes on in newsrooms. I did not really have a vision of what occurred when news broke or there was a major story to share. Newsrooms have a hectic atmosphere, or that is what I gathered, especially from the first episode. There is a constant stream of information coming through and it must be sorted and sifted through to find the best stories.

In the first episode Will, along with two other news anchors, were being questioned by the audience. The other two anchors were upfront with their views and responses whereas Will was not. Will responded with sarcasm and jokes and was hesitant to state his opinion. But then he was asked a very interesting question “What makes America the greatest country in the world?” The other two news anchors could answer no problem, but Will hesitated. He saw a sign from someone in the crowd and that was when he snapped. Will was urged to state his opinion and when he did there was no stopping him. He was very passionate in his response and listed all of the reasons why American was NOT the greatest country in the world. Of course after this happened, there were videos posted everywhere. Will had put a large dent in his career but why? He had spoken his mind and much of it was very truthful. The public does not like the truth if it hurts. I think this was a very useful event to use in the show.

I think this show gives people a better understanding of how the news affects the viewer. This show worked to allow the viewer to make their own decisions on the information they are receiving. They wanted to leave it up to the viewer to think on their own and to have their own opinions. It is so popular in today’s age for the news to coerce you into thinking about one thing. The media is capable to blur our vision on certain events and aim our focus at something else. We are unable to realize that what we are seeing, how much of it, and how we’re told about it effects our views.

Will Mcavoy is a very important character to the show and he tests the limits of the news and pushes the limits. After watching two episodes you are hooked and want to continue watching. There is something exhilarating about the process of the newsroom.