Guardians of Truth

Journalism is both an art and a science. It is an art in the sense that a journalist must be able to pick and choose words in a manner that most effictively conveys a particular point that they are trying to make. But the science of journalism is just as important. Its importance however should not imply that it is complex. In fact the science of journalism can be summed up in a single word: Truth. The job of the journalist is to expose truth; to inform the public so that they may make knowledgeable decisions. Ron Howard's most recent film, Frost/Nixon, may show one of the most critical cases of a journalist being a "guardian of truth" as my journalism 204 professor so aptly put it.

The film follows the story of David Frost, an English journalist/television host, who at the time of the film's setting was more of a playboy than a serious journalist. The film depicts the unfolding of Frost's attempt to round up Nixon for an interview after Nixon's resignation, and Frost's ultimate attempt to get Nixon to confess and apologize for Watergate on the air. Many felt that by President Ford's pardoning Nixon, Frost would give Nixon the trial he never had, and it is exactly that concept that is the central focus of this film.

The film is superb, particularly in one aspect I had assumed it would be too superficial with, which is the its characterization of Nixon. I assumed the film would make him out to be an entirely corrupt, evil, almost non-human entity. However it proved me wrong. The film does an outstanding job of reminding you that Nixon was in fact human, and that all of the consequences of his actions and these interviews did in fact take a toll on him emotionally. The area where the film was weak was surprisingly in its character development of Frost. It was far from subtle, and even further from realistic. They made it seem as if Frost was a fool, and miraculously changed overnight, rather than honing his skills over time. However that is not the point of the film as a whole, and its ability to capitalize on its larger more important positions makes this small issue very forgivable.

I would be doing you a great disservice to speak more on the subject of the film before you took the time to see it, so all I can do is recommend it highly.