My expectations for Kill the Messenger were extremely high. My roommate dreams of working for the government and I dream of being a journalist for The Washington Post, so it’s safe to say this movie has been marked in our planners for weeks.
The film follows the true story of journalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) as he investigates a tip he received regarding the CIA’s involvement in importing cocaine into the U.S. to raise funds for the Nicaraguan Contras rebel army. Despite warnings from his editors in the newsroom and from Washington D.C. against him pursuing the story, stating, “some things are too true to be in ink,” he decided to go ahead and run with it.
While in Nicaragua, Webb interviewed imprisoned drug baron Norwin Meneses (Andy Garcia). Meneses told him, “I’m going to introduce you to people you should talk to and then you will be faced with the most important decision of your life: deciding whether to share it or not.”
This stuck with me, because this is something all journalists will deal with sometime in their career. Once you receive information it is your job to investigate the credibility of the source and the tip they have provided you with and decide whether or not it is essential for the public to know. The fact that Webb had no hesitation about whether or not to run the story reminded me of the determination of another two remarkable journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who provided the public with the facts of the Watergate scandal.
As the story began to unveil itself, you see Webb’s career, family and credibility slowly begin to fall apart.
The movie is high suspense. With twists and turns at every corner, no one in the theater dared get up from their seat.
With high suspense, I found myself rooting for Webb and his family. I wanted him to be able to save his family and still uncover the story. As the CIA is conducting illegal business, viewers naturally root for the underdog and his audacity to challenge those in authority.
This is a movie that will be relevant throughout time, because journalism will always be essential to the well-being of the public. It is the responsibility of the journalist to provide the public unbiased information so they can decide their own stance on matters. Sometimes, the information they are reporting may be risky to their career, but it is up to them if they are willing to take that risk. The prime responsibility of a journalist is to challenge those in authority, to ensure that they are not taking advantage of the powerless, and if they are to, to bring light to the situation.
When the credits began to roll, and the lights slowly began to brighten, there was a silence in the theatre. “Wow,” “amazing,” “holy sh**,” were among the whispers.
From a journalist’s perspective, I left feeling inspired and excited to embark on the journey of becoming a news reporter. I thank Gary Webb for setting the bar a little too high for all of us. I can only hope we as journalists can compare to the tireless dedication he put into his work.
Brianna Kwasnik can be reached at Brianna.kwasnik@spartans.ut.edu.