Night of Nights and Playing the Ego Card

Frontline

This Night of Nights

MAIN THEME: the active suppression or promotion of versions of the truth being played off each other

1. Marty’s attitude to the Street Aid story outside the press conference shows a momentary ethical insight to the situation in much contrast to that which the Frontline team usually uphold. He appears resigned to the fact that he has to let a good story slip, along with the other journalist from the tabloid paper “The Truth”, the shot shows 2 hard working, cynical ‘journos’ having the ability to place ethics before a story if it is a matter of real importance.

2. As Brian says “We, as the media, have a duty to report what we learn, not sit back and decide what people should or shouldn’t know” to Marty concerning the airing of the Street Aid story, is an example of dramatic irony. It is so because we as the audience know that such a principle or ‘duty’ has been disregarded in many past instances and those to come by the Frontline team. We as the audience are able to recognise the irony behind the statement and placed in a privileged position, one step ahead of the characters to foreshadow the events to come.

3. The suppression of the Telecom story brings to mind the episode “smaller Fish to Fry” as we again see the selectivity of stories and the ACTIVE SUPPRESSION that occurs at the hands of the “elite” or higher power controlling the flow of certain information into the public domain that may be detrimental to these authoritative powers. The Telecom story, researched and written by Emma, initially revealed the tapping of customer phone lines. However, as Brian was informed by ‘upstairs’ that such a story would antagonise one of the biggest network sponsors, the story is turned into a puff piece with a positive endorsement of Telecom. Much of which reflects the underlying points of what occurred in “Smaller Fish to Fry”.

4. The main theme further brought to light with the handling of Mike’s DUI story. Contrary to Brian’s statement in (2), we as the audience see, in the final scene Brian’s attempts to keep the news “strictly in-house”, for the sake of the show’s reputation. Bruce, the journalist from “The Truth” however, reveals that he has knowledge of the DUI incident and we immediately see Brian pulling out his chequebook. This action of bribery demonstrates clearly the extent of the corruption of the industry.

5. Two instances where journalists are bought and sold in this episode can be seen in

6. Number of key issues also dealt with throughout the episode

Playing the Ego Card

MAIN THEME: mythologizing and myth making and the impact this has on reporting or responding to the news

1. Brian, in opening scene highlights the main determinants of a “good story”

- “it’s gotta have 3 things good vision, good vision and good vision” for a story to be worth running

- the issue of the hierarchy that exists in the media

- “what’s vision without a reporter?” Brian plays upon the concept of visual imperative and shows the media’s ability to talk they’re way out of situations. Also that the presenter becomes PART of the news. The EMBEDDING of reporters within news

- “big sticks that go boom! Boom!” shows the play on pre-existing ideas of war

2. Reference of the active construction of images by Emma and Brian is emphasised to show the significance of image over substance especially seen in “pub brawl in Manly is better than a massacre of millions if you’ve got the pictures”
3. The conflict between image and substance interferes with telling the truth is a main issue. Images, as seen in FL seems to subvert the deeper more important societal issues often transforming and reconstructing a story into a more light-on puff piece…
4. Like other episodes, the mise en scene composition sees the portrayal of the on air, constructed personalities of the characters depicting smart, well educated and a trustworthy source of information constantly juxtaposing the actions, dialogue and behaviour of the FL team
5. The scenes with Mike in Bouganville involving rebels shows the direct “creation” of news and the visual imperative of a story. I.e. the big sticks that go boom boom! In order to create a greater dramatic impact on the audience and raise the ratings of the show. Emphasizing and satirising the making of news by such current affairs programs and how media reportage is compromised at the expense of truth. It also highlights the unethical behaviour of media involved in the race for higher ratings playing on their audience’s willingness to succumb to their stories to mould their future expectations and perceptions according to the programs own needs.
6. When the story is uncovered, the 2 main concerns that preoccupy the FL team are

- the ratings to be gained from such front page news

- the egotistical approach of the team in deceiving others to gain the credit themselves