Last class, when we had been talking about the horrific forms of protest (such as self-immolation), we had touched on how we are being exposed to morbidity everyday whether by social media, or by such news being broadcasted nationally. Broadcasting graphic videos to homes across the country aren’t the only ways the news will show lack of regard for its viewers. The movie Nightcrawler is a good example (at least in my eyes) of the thought processes behind what is put on the screens of thousands of families. Louis Bloom (played excellently by Jake Gyllenhaal), is an aspiring videographer who is morally corrupt. He often acts within his own self-interest, disregarding the feelings and wellbeing of others. After gaining connections with a local Los Angeles news station by filming the gory aftermath of a carjacking, he begins trying to find more violent crimes in order to garner himself a reputation. Eventually, Bloom recruits a young man named Rick, to assist him. The movie does a good job in telling the dangerous impact journalism can have in fueling stereotypes as well as fearmongering. Nina is the news director for the station, and will encourage him to capture very graphic crime in places where poor areas cross over to wealthy areas. She represents selective and racist journalism, as she tries to make rich white people fear that their areas are being violated by inferior individuals for the sake of TV ratings. Listening to what was being said in class made me think of this movie and how it mirrors what news stations and other similar media are doing today. Now, especially in such a politically vulnerable time, the news twists a story to push a political agenda or to gain more ratings from a hyperbolic headline. Race is being used as a tool of separation in the already divided country. At the end of the movie, Louis ends up setting Rick up by causing him to be a fatality in a car chase. Bloom does this because Rick demands higher pay especially for the amount of dangerous work they’re doing. Despite being suspected many times by the police for manipulating crime scenes and causing the death of his employee, Louis gets let off the hook by the end of the movie. Both Louis and Nina have a happy ending and walk free from any repercussions. Though this ending was infuriating to me, I still really liked how realistic that outcome is. The news can manipulate the facts as much as they want and fuel whatever racist propaganda that they will, but at the end of the day, life goes on and we are left wondering what the real news/truth is. It also seems that the two simply walking away from their immorality should make viewers more conscious of the large and dangerous presence of fake media outlets.
Unruly Bodies 
This movie sounds like a great representation of the news/journalist industry. There is always someone trying to make their big break, and just like this example, there is always going to be someone who goes beyond reality or morality to get exposure. This is why it is important to be able to identify and analyze where we are getting information today, especially when we think about technology and how far we have come.
I love Nightcrawler! and I like the connection you made between unethical journalism and capturing the horrors and morbidity of the world. We are being exposed more to these disturbances every single day, and it seems that the news pushes this everywhere. It’s how Jake Gyllenhaal’s character is able to do so well in this profession, people have a high demand for this sort of journalism.
I’ve never heard of this movie but it sounds like an incredibly accurate exposure of what is happening in the real world of journalism. Turning people further against each other by means of journalism is absolutely absurd to me but it seems to me like it’s been going on for quite some time. Also, your mention of the graphic content we see on the day-to-day reminded me of the day Charlie Kirk was killed. I’m not sure if it wasn’t plain, morbid curiosity or a product of said graphic content being pushed at us on the day-to-day, but I definitely looked for it (and when I saw it I was not phased in the least).
While I’ve never seen Nightcrawler before, I am very aware of the effects of fake news within society. It is absolutely horrifying that we live in an age where people will believe anything they read on the internet. As a Jewish woman, I know all too well the harm of hateful propaganda and misinformation online. Antisemitism, racism, homophobia, etc., are ingrained in the news that we see each and every day. How can we assume the personal responsibility of spotting this hate speech and properly informing ourselves?
This post really illustrates how at the end of the day, the media is still entertainment. Even though there are guidelines about what’s real and what’s faked, it is still made for people to be watching it. There are so many ways that the media can warp or change perspectives on the same issue in different ways that it goes to show how difficult it is to see if anything is real.