63 thoughts on “Blog #171 – The Post”

1. dylan Brand May 29, 2024 at 9:37 am

   Since the 1970’s, payphones, newspapers, and teletype machines have been replaced by smartphones, social media, and digital media. Black and white TV’s have been replaced by High definition TV’s with color and streaming services like Netflix and Disney plus. In addition, the fashion of today is much different than it was in the 1970s. I think that this movie can be seen as glorifying the past because it portrays a time when newspaper companies like the Washington post controlled much of the public opinion through their articles like the Pentagon Papers. I believe that we will never see the return of this era due to the aspect of speed as well as capturing the audience that is prioritized by digital media. However, I believe that despite these changes, journalism’s core values, truth seeking, accountability, ect, will remain the same.

   At the start of the movie, Katherine Graham is portrayed as a reluctant leader. When she steps into the role of publisher of the Washington Post after her husband dies, Katherine is an uncertain leader and appears to be less powerful than the male executives and board members. During a board meeting, Katherine is overshadowed by the males and can be seen as vulnerable as she cannot handle the weight of her responsibilities. This changes when she decides to publish the pentagon papers. She has a lot of pressure from her associate to not publish them but does anyway. This shows her strength and how she has adapted to her role over time. By the end of the movie, Katherine has earned the respect of her peers and has become a dangerous power in the publishing world.

   I think that this film is very relevant and similar to news today when it comes to press freedom and the concept of fake news. There are many current events that are similar to the Nixon administration trying to stop the Pentagon Papers from being Published. One example that is similar to this is Donald Trump stealing government papers which resulted in an outburst of media. This is similar because it represents a conflict between governmental power and the press. In addition, journalists today are still challenged on their credibility. Terms like ‘fake news’ are thrown around to discredit journalists. This brings into question the topic of freedom of press which the movie covers. I think this movie serves as a historical lesson and a call to action because it freedom of press is not just a thing of the past, it is also very relevant today.
2. Libby Knoper May 31, 2024 at 11:05 am

   Life has changed so much since 1971. Pay phones, newspapers, and teletype are not that common anymore. These items still exist in the world and some of the older generations still use these items today. Newspapers are still commonly used today by all generations. Black and white TV’s aren’t used anymore because of the invention of the color TV’s. The clothing as changed as well, from being traditional and formal to not very formal or traditional. The common things to wear now are sweatpants or leggings with cropped shirts or long sleeved shirts. Back then, women would wear skirts and dresses while men would wear pants and striped shirts or vests. As portrayed in many films, traditional clothing has changed immensely since the 1900s as well as other aspects of society.
   This film portrays Katherine Graham as a lone woman because it shows how women who work in a field dominated by males can rise up and become powerful in that field. This film shows her growth from a socialite publisher to a powerful player with different examples. Graham seems to be very committed to her work and cares about the stories she covers. This film shows the dedication of women in the workforce by showing Graham jolting awake in her bed, surrounded by papers and binders, late at night. This shows how dedicated Graham has been to her stories but is getting shoved away by the Government to stop her from covering the Vietnam War. Graham is usually seen as the only woman in meetings and has all eyes on her when talking or doing anything and some men make fun of her for this. During these meetings, Graham is not being heard and has to show her notes to a man next to her so her ideas can be heard without her speaking. But some of these men still talk behind her back on how she is running the business and hiring people. As well as talking about how the only reason she runs the newspaper is because her husband died in an accident and she doesn’t understand what she is doing.
   This film is relevant because this shows that women can do things but also the struggle of working in a male-dominated work field. This is relevant as well because of the political controversies happening and articles being published about the president and some Government officials want to silence newspapers and articles and have them not report or have them report in a positive light of the former president. Freedom of the press is important so we can get the truth out in the world and someone’s opinion on a topic and not be silenced even with people wanting to silence authors getting the truth out in the world.
3. Logan Albritton May 31, 2024 at 2:50 pm

   1. Since the movie, pay phones are entirely eradicated, and almost everyone everywhere has some sort of cellular device. Newspapers aren’t as important as they used to be and news comes from apps or websites rather than from paper. If a girl had brought an unmarked box into an office like that, it would’ve never been opened just like that. It probably wouldn’t have even made it into the building. The movie is glorifying a time that will definitely never come back. The 60s will never be a sort of feeling that is replicated. It can’t. There is much less unity in the country than there was then and there are constantly arguments and fights online. The world has sped up since then, everything is faster, and everyone fights off the clock constantly.

   2. She was the only woman in the meeting of only men. She was struggling to get her points in and be a contributing part of the group. Most of the men talked over her and didn’t let her speak. Then, they were all talking about her behind her back when she was right there. It’s supposed to make the audience feel like everyone is against her and she’s alone. Even her own advisor is still a man. At the beginning, they all call her K, rather than have any title in front of her name as well, showing that she is more a friend and someone to talk to, rather than a real important person with power. Also, at the dinner party, she gets up with the rest of the women, rather than stay to talk politics with the men. Her change into a major player starts to occur when she has a direct connection to the man with the lead to the Pentagon Papers. Then, Ms Graham walks into the stock exchange building with all of the women on the steps, and she is the only woman let into the building. There is a “sea” of men inside and she’s given her own voice. Then, she makes the deal and the men in the Post are commending her.

   3. The film is resident today because of the amount of sources of information, and the forever constantly changing social media landscape. TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and others all have millions of independent blogs, scholars, and just random people posting the “news”. On top of that, A.I. is at a point where an entire fake newspaper or article can be made up and sound completely real. Also, news literacy in the world is decreasing. Reading and actually understanding discerning what is true and what isn’t is becoming a skill less and less utilized. That being said, freedom of the press is also changing as well. The freedom of the press is what allows information to be presented and the public to have the ability to learn about current events. With the changing landscape, it’s increasingly important that the press is protected and that the ability to find the objective truth is maintained.
4. Nauman June 2, 2024 at 1:09 am

   1. Times have changed considerably since then. The relevance of pay phones, newspapers, teletype machines, and black and white TVs have all been greatly reduced. For example, pay phones are no longer a necessity and are broadly used because a large majority of people either have an Android or Apple phone. Newspapers are now considered very irrelevant. Only a small percentage of people still receive an in-person newspaper to read. The reason why is that you can easily find your daily news online now. Teletype machines are very outdated and have become both obsolete and irrelevant in the modern world. This also applies to black and white TVs. Black and white TVs are no longer mostly used and are also obsolete at this point. I think this movie is glorifying an age that will never come back. Things shown in the movie, such as the broad use of newspapers and pay phones, will most probably never be used again. This makes sense because society is constantly changing and evolving, and what we used to do and the tools and machines we used to use constantly change and become obsolete and outdated. It makes sense for people to glorify the times of the 1960s-1970s. This is mostly due to nostalgia and how many older folks view those times as better for a variety of reasons or at least miss them. This is also related with the fact that these times are gone and will never come back. I can both understand and sympathize with the glorification of this time period. However, it is important to keep in mind that this rosy picture does not fully describe this period of time. Many average Americans were still suffering from things like poverty, which a completely rosy picture will not showcase.

   2. At the start of the movie, Katherine is accurately portrayed as a lone wolf. This can be seen when most men did not respect her. They talked over her and did not value her contributions. Her being the only woman in a meeting full of men encapsulates this lone wolf portrayal. Her growth can be clearly seen when she decides to publish the Pentagon Papers. The men who previously snubbed her now show her a great deal of respect, and now both pay attention to her and hear her voice and output. This greatly differs from the start of the movie when she was not paid attention to and not respected.

   3. I think this movie is very relevant and timely to the modern day. For example, politicians and big public figures like Donald Trump have constantly thrown around the world fake news to falsely news coverage he does not like. This can be seen as a way of trying to suppress the news, as Nixon attempted to do, and also trying to discredit the news. Additionally, the freedom of the press is very important. It’s very important because if you do not have a free press, you can easily fall into the hole of being propagandized and falling for actual fake news and hoaxes. This is why having a strong independent and plural press is important so you can get many perspectives instead of one sponsored propagandized opinion.
5. Ari Blank June 2, 2024 at 10:28 am

   1. My favorite learning style that we did this year was when we split up into small groups to research different topics and then reported back our findings to the class. This method shortens the amount of time it takes to research many topics. By the end of this learning practice, everybody still learns the information they need in just a fraction of the time. This strategy was used to my liking for the shark tank project, where we split up into pairs and researched an invention. In the end, we presented and all got the correct information. However, a learning style that I didn’t like was reading articles and taking quizzes on the next day. I never understood why we read most of the articles, and I would have liked it if you just added a slide to your slide deck. I was always more focused when you were explaining your slides than when I was reading the articles. I felt that I was only reading the articles because there was a quiz on them the next day.

   2 and 3
   I wish we spent a little less time on everything we went over, so we would have time to get more in depth with the Cold War and into the 2000s. In the practice tests I took, the last ten or so questions related to topics we weren’t able to get to because of time constraints. On these questions, I would randomly guess because I didn’t know much about what the question was asking or what the answers even meant. The review sessions helped a little bit with these topics, and by the time of the test, I knew enough to make educated guesses on the Cold War to 2000s questions. Moving forward, class times are being shortened, and this issue of not having enough time to get through the Cold War will be even worse. I would have liked to learn more about the history surrounding the Cold War and after.

   4. I learned that American history is a deep and dark tunnel of questionable politics that I don’t plan to go down again. Throughout the year, I learned about a wide variety of interesting decisions made by our leaders. It seems that there is always someone who breaks the unspoken rules while in charge. There were many wars that the United States fought in, and I still don’t really see the point of most of them. Many of the wars were fought over wanting to gain more land because the U.S. thought they were special. They won some wars and lost some as well. Although I don’t see why the U.S. got into some of these wars, I don’t hate that land was gained to round out the country.
6. Charles Walsworth June 3, 2024 at 10:26 am

   A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame: pay phones, newspapers, teletypes, black-and-white TVs, clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?

   Life has changed a tremendous amount since the 1970s, with intense technological innovation coming in the years that preceded the 1970s. Most of the technology in the movie has been replaced with an innovative version or a completely new invention. For instance, the things the movie portrays, like pay phones, have been replaced with modern portable phones, and newspapers are now available online, reducing the need for material newspapers. Black and white, thick, and boxy TVs have been replaced by sleek, high-res colored TVs, and teletypes are being replaced by keyboards. A wide range of these inventions have been replaced as a result of the greatly improved innovation of these previous technologies in the 1970s. Besides the way technology changed, there was social change, with America progressing towards more equality and radical ideas taking place during the 1970s. Some examples of progress could be seen in gay weddings becoming legal or in progressive moments like BLM.

   Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players—lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from a socialite publisher to a powerful player.

   At the beginning of the movie, Katherine Graham becomes a leader in light of her husband’s death, becoming a publisher. She begrudgingly becomes the leader, and she seems to be nervous or uncomfortable with her position. For instance, when she goes to a board meeting, she goes into a room of men that is bigger than her. This could be potentially symbolic of the power dynamic at the start of the movie, with her not wielding her power to her full potential and being overpowered by the men. Furthermore, the number of men in the room is large, possibly signifying that she feels suffocated by her new responsibilities. But we can see a shift when she decides to publish the Pentagon Papers despite the pressure from her peers to not publish in the name of free speech and for the greater public good. She proved that her beliefs were unwavering, continuing to publish the papers to hold the government accountable.

   The film’s reviews—many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press with its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on with the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?

   The film “The Post” is extremely relevant to the present. The themes of freedom of the press that are included in the film are extremely relevant today. Freedom of the press is so important because it allows the people to hold the government accountable, as the constitution details that the power is within the people. Without freedom of the press, the government could more easily have corruption unbeknownst to the public and be more able to escape accountability for corrupt practices. Fake news is often a term thrown around by politicians to damage journalists’ credibility and, generally, to discredit them for their benefit. The movie with the Nixon administration attempting to prevent the Pentagon papers from coming to the public was a very clear demonstration of why we need freedom of the press. The leaked Pentagon papers included the United States unnecessarily extending the Vietnam War, resulting in the avoidable deaths of many. It’s detailed that they stayed to just avoid a humiliating defeat from Vietnam, additionally violating the Geneva Convention. These instances of bad practices from the government might’ve continued, resulting in the deaths of many more. Without freedom of the press, the Vietnam War might’ve been prolonged, and these transgressions never discovered might’ve led to worse things. The result of all these things is why we need freedom of the press.
7. Robert Morgan June 3, 2024 at 10:27 am

   The time period of 1971 that is interpreted by the movie through the pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. has changed as time continues in many ways through technological advancements and shifts in societal norms. The rise of easily accessible internet revolutionized the way that information and news was spread and how people consumed and read those pieces of information. Nowadays, the use of phones, social media, and continuous cycles of news, overall the way we consume media in the 21st century, is drastically different from the slow paced, printer centered world seen in the movie “The Post.” The movie does inspire nostalgia for the age of crusading newspapers, but it doesn’t glorify it. Instead, it shows the various difficulties and challenges, like ethics, that journalists at the time had to go through. The Post emphasizes the importance of free press because it holds the more powerful and higher-up people accountable, one of the reasons being investigative journalism, which at the time would keep an eye on almost everybody in a political position.

   The way that the movie portrays the character of Katherine Graham at the start of the movie is that of a hesitant publisher. After her husband dies, she is thrown into the role of publisher of the Washington Post. In the eyes of her male coworkers, Graham is seen as less powerful and faces condescension, despite her position. One example of this seen in the film is during a board meeting where Graham is overlooked by her male peers. An example of her growth is when she decides to defy legal threats and publish the Pentagon Papers, highlighting her growth and determination. This portrayal of Graham serves as an attack on gender norms in the workplace and the challenges faced by women in positions of leadership. Her growth from a marginalized figure to a respected and influential leader shows the importance of breaking through societal norms and expectations to effect meaningful change.

   In our current era where many news stories are falsely created and modified to lean to a certain viewpoint in the media, this movie is incredibly relevant because it is a story of a woman taking a powerful position in a time conquered by men and the media tended to edit out stories that criticized the military. Freedom of press is important because it gives many different perspectives around a certain topic that might not have been seen if we had no freedom in the press.
8. Gabe Macwilliams June 3, 2024 at 10:42 am

   A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?
   Between 1971 and 2024, the technological revolution transformed nearly every aspect of life. The era witnessed the advent and evolution of personal computing, with companies like Apple and Microsoft leading the way. The internet’s development in the 1990s revolutionized communication, information access, and commerce. Mobile technology and smartphones, introduced in the 2000s, further connected people globally. Advances in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy reshaped industries and daily life. This period also saw significant growth in social media, changing how people interact and share information. Overall, these innovations dramatically improved productivity, connectivity, and convenience, reshaping society and economies worldwide. In my opinion, this film is glorifying nothing. This film highlights a time where 1st amendment rights were taken away, and America was Anti-American.
   Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.
   In the beginning of the film, there is a scene where Katherine Graham is being berated for being a ‘bad leader of the paper’, as the Post plans to become publicly traded. Of the reasons given, a major one is that the public would not be fond of a female CEO. Later in the film, however, she uses her femininity to her advantage. For example, the only person that Jack Kennedy would speak to was her. This might be because she is a woman, so he feels more comfortable around her. Due to long standing social norms, Jack might have not seen Katherine as a threat, or at least not as big of a threat as she actually is. Due to the unique nature of Katherine, the film is able to highlight gender issues that were rampant at the time.
   The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?
   Freedom of press is constantly challenged, throughout time. In the context of social media, this principle faces challenges due to the platforms’ roles as private entities with their content policies. While freedom of the press supports minimal government interference, social media companies have the authority to moderate content to prevent misinformation, hate speech, and other harmful behaviors. The balance between protecting free expression and maintaining a safe online environment is complex, often sparking debates on the appropriate extent of censorship and the protection of users’ rights to free speech.
9. Baity Wagner June 3, 2024 at 10:44 am

   Obviously, life has changed lots since the 1970s but firstly, technology has changed. Pay phones, black and white TVS, and teletypes are obsolete technology now and have no practical use but for an “aesthetic”. I think this movie contributes to the glorification of an age, people love aesthetics of certain time periods, they often come in waves or trends. One of the first things I thought about was how cute one of the women’s outfits was and how I wish I could wear it without it being abnormal. The argument of the crusading newspaper is the same! It’s tense and high action. Newspapers are not what they used to be, my grandfather is the only person I’ve seen read a paper and I only ever read local papers, not national newspapers.

   Katherine, being a woman working in a powerful newspaper position, was often overlooked and disregarded even with her highly respected title. In one of the first meetings we see, she is talked over and not even looked at. She is the only woman in power that we see. Graham slowly becomes less and less afraid of what her peers think of her and steps up to the plate. She is thrown around but is now taking action and her peers see that now. She is able to make the last call on publication which is a huge change compared to her timid attitude when being shut down beforehand. She doesn’t let the men make her decisions and doesn’t need their permission to do anything.

   It is just as relevant and timely with the new technology today. It is much easier for the average person to voice their opinions and exercise their freedom of press via social media. Unfortunately, because anyone can post anything, not all of it can be fact checked or is true. People can post threats or harmful things which are not protected. Other people trying to silence others on social media and the federal government regulating social media posts and communication with others is mirroring exactly what happens in this film. There has always been the issue of making sure people can exercise their freedom of speech because of people spreading fake news and it being harmful to others. It’s a very complicated thing and it becomes less and less regulated the more and more regular people have access to it. But it is crucial that people can exercise their right to share their opinions on social media, it just comes with very damaging consequences as well.
10. Lynn Meradi June 3, 2024 at 10:46 am

    1. Life has changed in multiple aspects with an example being newspapers. Some places still deliver newspapers to multiple neighborhoods, however many people of the newer generation and even older generation don’t read them. This is because most people consume their news through social media and news broadcasters on TV, no longer relying on newspapers to get their information about current events or even entertainment. Pay phones have been continually used until recently, with New York for example getting rid of all the pay phones. Now there are iPhones to communicate with others through calls and texts. Clothing has definitely been a big change from the 70s, back when there were lots of flared pants, popular for both men and women, now there are more micro-trend and fast fashion, where clothing is made with cheaper material, meaning it does not last as long as the clothes from the 70s. With the micro-trends, in the past few years, there have been multiple different trends that go on for less than a month until a new one shows up. As for if the movie is glorifying this decade of newspapers it shows the real consequences of running a newspaper company and what is being published. This shows how freedom of speech isn’t always protected and that if a publishing company exposes the truth, the government can say that they don’t like what they published, despite the First Amendment. This movie isn’t showing a decade of newspapers as something to miss, but rather something that people should look back on and see where the public starting to know the truth begins.

    2. Katherine Graham at the beginning of the film is presented as a woman who truly cares for her work and is committed to it. This is shown when she is asleep and suddenly wakes up with multiple binders and papers falling off her bed, showing her dedication to getting the proper amount of accurate information. She fights for what she believes in by voicing her opinion even if she knows it’s not the popular one amongst men. When she is having breakfast with Tom Hank’s character she brings up women in the workforce, specifically about newspaper publishing, and is immediately shut down, but she doesn’t up by showing her frustration of being interrupted but still keeps the rest of the conversation respectful. In a meeting full of men she can calculate how much money will go into a certain share with investors, instead, she whispers it while the man at the other end of the table says it out loud. Another question is asked, and Graham decides to speak up more this time, but she is quickly shut down by the men around her and changes the discussion without hearing her out because many of them don’t agree with a woman being in charge. As the plot moves forward Graham begins to prioritize what she deems as the right thing and no longer in looking for the permission of her male employers, rather she begins to ask for their advice and it’s her choice to listen to their opinions or not. This was shown when she was having a conversation with the secretary of defense. Moreover, Graham continues to become a part of the conversation even when her male peers view this conflict as too much for her. Graham is made to make the last call on whether they should publish or not, but she decides to counter that and publish anyway. This is the turning point for her character because she realizes that she is the one in control and doesn’t need her male employers to talk in her ear and decide for her. Overall showing how she is portrayed as a woman who comes into her own when it comes to her job and begins to navigate her thoughts in a line of work that is a predominantly male field.

    3. This film is relevant because it portrays how America may stand for free speech, but not all the time. Furthermore, it portrays things that occur in the current day such as conflicting stories with foreign affairs, like the Ukraine war and other current events. Some newspapers seem to spread information that may have some bias or information that people don’t like to hear and see. Others see this as a way to become more aware of our lives and what they can do to help those overseas, with things like peaceful protests and college encampments. Freedom of the press is so vital for America and any other country because it’s a way for the people of that country to express their opinions, otherwise, if they feel that is being restricted or taken away, people will begin to revolt. With this in mind, it also allows people to have another source of information about events happening in the country and current events with things that are in other countries other than their own. Moreover, people get to see thousands of different opinions and become more educated on matters that they feel might not be important.
11. Landon Lamb June 3, 2024 at 10:51 am

    Life has changed in many ways since the 1970s in which this movie was based. The advancement in technology was one of the many ways life has changed since the time period in which the movie was based. For example, we have various new ways to communicate through development in technologies like smartphones and social media, compared to the 1970s when they only had letters, radio, and payphones to communicate. The benefits of the newer technology allow for quicker communication from one person to another. Also, the ways news gets out has improved since the 1970s. In the 1970s journalism was a key component to spreading news and required reporters and editors to help spread their information. Now, there are digital platforms to spread news information like social media, blogs, and digital news broadcasting sites. All in all, the movie tries to glorify the age of newspapers to show how much work was put into newspapers to get the public the information that they want, but, compared to today the effort they put into their work can be much less and produce the same stories at a quicker rate.
    The film portrays Graham as a woman in who is surrounded by “better and more powerful” men than her and she is trying to work her way to be an important person too. At first, she seems undecided on her stories and ideas and asks the other, male, board members for advice about her topics and what would be good to distribute. It’s also seen that she struggles to tell her information to the other male board members because they always question her decisions and wonder whether they are smart or not. A turning point in Graham’s character is when she decides to publish the Pentagon Papers even though there is a load of pressure on her from the other members of the board. This led to a change in her character becoming more confident in herself, creating a voice among all the men. Graham starts off as a shy character he is an outsider among all the powerful lawyers and bankers, then rises to a voice amongst all the men who is now listened to by the rich and powerful lawyers and bankers.
    This film is relevant and timely due to the suppression of news today. Topics have been restricted from being published in the news or have been edited to make them more appealing to the masses of people and not the real news. Freedom of the press is important because if you limit the people’s rights to press you are taking away their ability to speak freely. Also, altering the press can create fake news which is bad because it can make people look good or bad depending on the way the news is edited and who or what the news article is targeting.
12. danedimmer June 3, 2024 at 10:53 am

    Life has changed significantly since the film’s 1971 time frame. Pay phones still exist but are not used that much anymore as everyone has cell phones, newspapers also still exist but once again, they are not used much anymore as people have news at their fingertips on their phones and on their computers. Teletype has been replaced with typing on a keyboard on computers and black and white TVs have not only gone to color but have also gotten bigger and slimmer. I do think this movie is glorifying the age of crusading newspapers because it shows how much the news mattered back then and how they really wanted the truth to be out there, unfortunately I do not think that is the case today as all everyone writes is for clicks and money.
    I think the film portrays Katherine Graham’s growth from a socialite publisher to a powerful player in a unique way. She starts off not sure of how to handle things but progressively during the movie she knows what she is doing and becomes a very powerful player in the publishing industry as she makes the hard decision to publish the pentagon paper documents after hearing the two arguments, she asks Fritz what he would do and he tells her he wouldn’t publish it and she decides to anyway, going against his words and becoming her own person. She becomes respected and admired by the sea of powerful male players.
    I agree with the reviews that say the film is completely relevant to today because we should be fighting for the freedom of the press, it seems like we have given up telling about the truth for money and for viewership but the American people deserve the truth and not the biased ‘fake’ news that is constantly shown on tv again and again. I see this film as relevant and timely because of the current censorship of the press and I do think it is important for us to be informed about the truth and that is why i think the freedom of the press is so important because not knowing the truth can be dangerous like during COVID-19 when we were told many different things from many different people and people were confused and uninformed, that is an example that fake news can be harmful and even kill people. I believe that we should start fighting for the freedom of the press because i think this issue is as big as it was back then, we are being uninformed on the Russian war in Ukraine and we were uninformed on what we were doing in Afghanistan, the American people have the right to know.
13. Safiya Mahmood June 3, 2024 at 10:56 am

    #1) Since 1971, technological advancements have greatly changed. In 1971 the majority of people used landlines, pay phones, letters, and face-to-face interactions. Which usually took a lot longer and were more unreliable. However today we communicate through smartphones, emails, social media, video calls, etc. Making it a lot easier and faster to communicate with people. In 1971 news was consumed through newspapers, radio, and black-and-white television. Today we use digital news through websites, apps, social media, and streaming services. While it’s more accessible it can also be dangerous due to the rise of misinformation and how easy it is to put it out. “The Post” did glorify an era of newspapers. This era symbolized a time when print journalism was a check on power that was made possible through investigative reporting. If this era will return is debatable because print journalism has declined a lot, and digital news have become more popular. However credibility issues with today’s media may lead to a resurgence in newspapers.

    #2) At the beginning, Graham seemed hesitant and out of place in a male-dominated place, she relied on her advisors for decisions. In the early boardroom scenes, she struggled to assert her authority over the male bankers and lawyers, who often undermined her or dismissed her opinions. An important moment is when she decides to publish the Pentagon Papers despite the pressure and possible legal repercussions. This marks a huge shift in her confidence. Her interactions with Ben show her evolving from a quiet reporter to someone who stands her ground. By the end of the film, she is able to confidently addresses the press and her staff.

    #3) “The Post” is relevant around “fake news” and press freedom. The way the film shows the Nixon administration’s attempts to silence the press. The term “fake news” has been used for years now which questions almost any type of news source even if they really are telling the truth. “The Post” also shows the importance of a free press when there’s a lying government, misinformation, and the need to hold power accountable. It keeps a watch on the government and ensures transparency. A free press allows citizens with the information they need to make their own decisions. It’s also important that the government can’t limit free speech in dire times like wars. As this was done in World War one and two. Being able to inform the public on things that may be hidden from them is important so they can take action if needed.
14. Daphne Breen June 3, 2024 at 11:04 am

    A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?
    Life has changed a lot since the 1970s, including technology, jobs, clothing, and more. Many people in this film had traditional clothing for the decade, and the hairstyles for men and women were also very different compared to today. Newspapers during the 70s were also more popular. They sought after because the internet and many major browsing companies were yet to exist or at least in their infant stages, as were many forms of technology such as phones, computers, and small square black and white TVs. Overall, I think this movie does glorify this age in some ways. Many adults today would be drawn to this movie because it resembles many classic objects and characters that they saw when they were younger, especially cars, and are attracted to watch the film. Along with this, the 70s something that many people know what happened and what the decade looked like, and the story this film follows is similar to other movies, because of this, many would find comfort in watching something they are familiar with and can relate to in some ways. Because of these reasons, I think that the film did try to glorify this age to appease its viewers.
    Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.

    This film at first portrayed Katherine as a smaller status worker, who was constantly overlooked by her male peers, who dominated her industry. As the film went on, we saw Katherine is very committed to her work and cares about what she does, not just simply going through the motions as some people in her workplace may be. Katherine also succeeds in many moments throughout the film when it comes to getting her ideas out there, whether by herself with her voice or through other people in meetings by sharing her notes with the other men at the table.
    The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?

    I think that this film is timely in comparison to the events it covered, today’s politics, and everywhere in between. Freedom of the press has always been an important amendment and brought up in political situations countless times in the US. Fake news has been a problem since the internet and social media became more popular, as it is easier than ever before to share whatever they like whenever they like, without getting properly fact-checked or having reliable sources. This movie is not the same problem we face today, but overall there are many parallels and similarities, and expresses the importance of reporting factual information and informing the general public of important news regardless of biased opinions.
15. Charlisa P June 3, 2024 at 11:16 am

    1. Life has changed significantly since the 1970s, especially due to new technologies and platforms that are used for the spread of information and news. In 1971, newspapers, magazines, and physical products were necessary to spread news but now, with the advent of phones and the internet, I consume all of my news online on websites. This movie might glorify the old age of physical newspapers, but the truth is that many aspects of journalism: muckraking journalists, large news corporations, and political intrigue have and will continue to remain even in the digital space. Still, it seems unlikely that we will ever return to the age of crusading physical newspapers because online news is much more convenient economically and logistically. Newspapers don’t need to hire paperboys, and can reach a much larger audience than they otherwise could’ve. But the sensational news stories are becoming things of the past because digital news platforms takes the drama out of the news.
    2. Katherine Graham sometimes makes references to how she has to do more work to be held in equal regard to other men, like memorize all of the numbers/statistics of the company. She experiences prejudice because she is a woman and is even encouraged to transfer ownership because the buyers might be uncomfortable with a woman leading the Washington Post company. She is talked over at the buyer meeting, even when she knew the answers to their questions. Throughout the movie, many people try to influence her decisions, but she decisively decides to publish about the Pentagon papers even though most of her staff advised against it.
    3. Freedom of press is essential to a functioning democracy – it is important to maintain a well-informed/educated citizenry and encourage political participation. Freedom of press can shed light on important issues like government corruption and political updates, and it can sometime lead to justice and social movements (just like the Pentagon papers spurred anti-war protests). It is relevant today because the news landscape has become very twisted, with the rise of AI and fake news. Especially in other places around the world, freedom of press is under threat. When I lived in China, we had to use a VPN to access American networks like the Wall Street Journal or Fox News, because the only news available to the Chinese public was state-sponsored news. As a result, there have been many cover-ups about government atrocities and the people don’t receive news about these events. Freedom of press is essential to holding governments accountable and giving citizens a full perspective on their government and history.
16. Ashlyn June 3, 2024 at 11:29 am

    So much has changed since 1971 such as electronics, how people dress, common culture, views on race and religion, and how fast information spreads. During this time the only way information was spread was through the newspaper which needed to be written then sold and passed out on peoples doorsteps. Now, we have so much technology and social media, so information and stories are spread within minutes. I think the movie does not glorify this time because it takes so much time to publish these papers and they are in the middle of the war so it’s a difficult time for the country and the government.
    This movie portrays Katherine in a positive and strong women light. Early on it is made clear that she owns the Washington post. We see that it is mostly males that are working under her. They do not boss her around and they see that she is the boss, but they have very heavy opinions. There are many instances where they try to sway her opinion from what they believe and want. It is a very important time for women in this time period because they are fighting for equal rights. We see that she is portrayed as a strong brilliant woman that will not be told what to do by a man. I look up to her alot in the way that she is so strong and brave and stands up for what is right even though she knows what can go wrong but believes at the end of the movie that the country should know what the government has been doing.
    This film is timely because we still are faced with the fact that news and media is being posted every day because everyone deserves freedom of press and speech. Freedom of the press is incredibly important because it is very close to freedom of speech. When the US became independent from Britain in 1776, one of the first laws in place was that everyone has the freedom and right to free speech. This is so important because it separates America from other countries in the fact that people in the country do have a say in what happens in the country and government. It is important for information to be spread by the news and paper so people are informed on what is happening locally, in the country, and globally.
17. Vishwa June 3, 2024 at 12:36 pm

    Since 1971, life has undergone significant transformation, primarily due to technological advancements and cultural shifts. The era depicted in The Post was characterized by a slower pace of communication and information dissemination.. Today, digital technology dominates as smartphones, social media, and the internet have revolutionized how we access and share information. These changes have made information more accessible and immediate but have also led to challenges such as misinformation and reduced attention spans. The film’s portrayal of the 1970s may indeed glorify an age of crusading newspapers that some believe may never return. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that such an era is outdated or irrelevant. The spirit of investigative journalism, characterized by the pursuit of truth and accountability, remains vital. While the mediums have changed, the need for rigorous, principled journalism is as crucial as ever.

    In The Post Katherine Graham’s evolution from a socialite to a powerful publisher is a central narrative. Initially, Graham, played by Meryl Streep, is portrayed as uncertain and overshadowed by the male-dominated world around her. Graham starts off visibly uncomfortable and hesitant in board meetings, where her opinions are often dismissed or overlooked by the predominantly male executives. Her defining moment comes when she decides to publish the Pentagon Papers despite potential legal and financial repercussions. This decision marks a significant shift in her character from a passive to an assertive leader, willing to stand up for journalistic integrity. Graham’s growing confidence is reflected in her interactions with Ben Bradlee, the Post’s editor-in-chief. Initially, their relationship is somewhat imbalanced, but as the story progresses, she asserts her authority and earns his respect as an equal partner in their journalistic endeavor.

    The Post is profoundly relevant to contemporary issues, especially concerning the media and press freedom. The film draws parallels between the Nixon administration’s attempts to suppress the Pentagon Papers and modern-day challenges faced by the press. The term fake news, widespread attacks on media credibility, and efforts to undermine journalistic integrity resonate with the film’s themes. Freedom of the press is vital because it supports transparency, accountability, and informed citizenship. It allows journalists to investigate and report on government actions, corporate behavior, and social issues without fear of censorship or retaliation. In an era where misinformation can spread rapidly, a free and robust press is essential for democracy to function effectively. Combating misinformation is a prior question to understand whether our world is stable or not and our ability to evolve.
18. Sofia B June 3, 2024 at 12:42 pm

    A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?

    With the invention of the internet and information being stored online, it’s much easier to access information. The film definitely glorifies the news industry at this time by showing them going through great hassles to get sources and information. It also shows the chase to get classified information on a government coverup of the Vietnam War which will most likely not happen again. The scene with reporters spreading out over 4.000 pages of the McNamara study and looking through them to match them up and find materials for articles is definitely a dramatization of how reporters found information to write articles about.

    Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.

    In the board meeting near the beginning, we see Katherine being shut out from talking even though she rehearsed for the meeting and knew everything perfectly. After the board meeting, three of the men that work for Katherine are talking behind her back about how she is unfit to run the newspaper company because she is a woman. Another example of politics being for men is when at a dinner party, when the men start talking about politics, the women get up and leave the room. This puts Katherine in a somewhat awkward spot as it wasn’t necessarily socially acceptable for women to deal with politics but her job in a news company involves her in politics. Katherine starts to be respected more when the Washington Post enters the American Stock Exchange as everyone wants a photo with her. We also see Katherine become more important as she is able to hear more sensitive information as men believed that women wouldn’t act on it. This is very beneficial to her as she owns a newspaper company. When Katherine visits McNamara, she has the documents which hold a lot of powerful information and confronts him about this. This moment shows that Katherine and McNamara are on the same level because they both possess the same information.

    The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?

    This film is very timely as there is always a struggle with freedom of the press as the government wants to withhold information that makes them look bad or spreads ideas they don’t like. One example of this in recent times is when Ron Desantis banned AP African American studies and changed many courses in education in Florida. The conservative government of Florida did not want liberal or “woke” ideas to spread and “indoctrinate” children in schools. Freedom of press is important because it allows people to get a full and complete understanding of the world around them through many different types of media from factual based news to opinion based tabloids.
19. Kaylen C. June 3, 2024 at 12:42 pm

    A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?
    Since the 1970s life has changed in various ways, but the one that is probably the most prominent is the extensive technological advancements that have been made over the years. Technology has made it so much easier for people to access information at the tip of the finger, to communicate worldwide, and on a more negative level has made it much easier for people to spread false information. This move in some ways is glorifying an age of crusading newspapers that will never come back because of the growth of technology that we see today.
    Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.
    The film portrays Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful men by showing her working in a seemingly very male-dominated industry in which she doesn’t let the fact that she is the only woman in the room intimidate her from doing her work to the best of her ability. In the beginning, the men in the film are shown to treat her as more of a friend and in an informal way rather than as a colleague, they even talk about her in front of her as if she isn’t even there. These men are the “sea of powerful male players” that she later is shown to assert her authority within not allowing them to negate the fact that she is just as much of a player in the business as they are. One time in particular that shows her growth to being a powerful player herself is when Graham is when she ignored the advice of the men around her when it came to what she should do with the Pentagon Papers and she ended up doing what she believed was right and best to do for the newspaper by publishing.
    The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?
    I do think that this film is relevant today because of how prevalent the conversation of freedom of the press has become with the growth of technology. Freedom of the press is extremely important for many reasons. The main reason is that without freedom of the press then the information that is shared with the public regarding all news, political, social, or economic. Without this freedom, which the First Amendment ensures, the government may have more control over what is released, which may taint the factual accuracy of the information being shared. This freedom maintains the power that the government has over the press and as a whole maintains the people’s right to freedom of speech in our country.
20. Sylvia Duncan June 3, 2024 at 12:48 pm

    A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?
    Something that I felt really was present in this newspaper was how important Newspapers were, especially with breaking news. Back then tv news wasn’t as popular and the best resource to get your information was from the paper. Newspapers were so popular that in a scene where every single worker at Washington Times is in the office reading a newspaper. Life has changed a lot since 1971. Now we get our news from social media and news channels on the tv. This age of newspapers, at least in our generation, will not come back in my opinion. I think that for older people who grew up reading newspapers, still read them a little bit but also get news from the Tv. But Gen Z on the other hand grew up with technology and gets most of their information from their phones whether that’s on social media or news articles that are online. Pay phones are also shown a lot in this movie. Especially the phones where they used rotary phones and they had to spin the circle instead of putting the phone number in. Now phones are purely digital and can be held in your pocket, no wire required. I think this movie is very accurate for the time period and shows things like newspapers and rotary phones that are rarely used today.

    Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.
    When Graham went over to Macklemore’s house and confronted him about lying and how he could have lied to all the people. When Mackamore told her that she shouldn’t publish the macamore studies, she denied and told her that she would publish it anyway. Showing that she was a powerful player no matter what people say she should do. Then she was on a call about whether the Washington Post should publish or not and everyone told her that she shouldn’t publish, but she did the best for the company and said to publish. She was brave as she made a decision that could ruin her. Then the wife of Ben Bradlee, said how brave Graham was because she made a big decision that could ruin her reputation.

    The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?
    This event is really relevant because some social media websites like Twitter have been known to hide certain information about certain topics on their app. Also On other social media websites like Tik Tok and Instagram have been known to mess with the algorithm and hide posts about certain highly debated topics. The most recent example of this I have seen is social media posts being restricted about people in Gaza being injured and killed at a big rate. Many people posting about this topic feel that their posts are being restricted by the companies because they want to cover up the fact that this is happening and restrict their freedom of press. Freedom of Press is very important for the spread of different ideas and to allow everybody to report important debated topics that people may not know about. Freedom of press, especially on social media allows people to learn about topics that people may not know about and learn new perspectives on events that are happening around the world.
21. Max S June 3, 2024 at 12:50 pm

    The movie does fit the time frame well with the use of pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black/white TV’s etc. There are other hints at the time because it is obvious that the role of women in society have changed since the time of the movie, because in the movie women are seen as unimportant and as if they can’t be at the head of important missions like the one in the movie. Life has changed a lot since then because people are now more accustomed to mobile devices and pay phones are becoming more and more uncommon. The circulation of newspapers still exists but is a lot less common and is no longer used as the common form of communications between people and news/government. Lastly, women have become more integrated into society and are now held at a higher standard than they used to be, being able to lead a huge mission and being more trusted and respected by their co-workers. I don’t think the film glorifies this age, I think they show how corrupted the government and big corporations were back then and how easy it was to take advantage of this. This reality will never return due to the advancements in technology and the continuous exploration of more technical knowledge.

    At the beginning of the film Catherine is portrayed as shy and hesitant, also due to the fact that she is surrounded by men who are not used to having a woman at such a high position. The men seem not to take her seriously and see her as vulnerable and unworthy and that she cannot meet her required expectations. This whole narrative changes when she makes the ultimate decision to publish the Pentagon Papers and disobeys what her associate believes to be right. This shows that she is a strong independent woman, who is able to make final and critical decisions. Katherine gradually feels more comfortable in her role and by the end of the movie she cements herself as a completely respectable woman and a different person than who she entered as. She earns the respect of her co-workers and the men in her department and is a staple in the world of publishers.

    The movie is timely and still relevant today because today political opinions and ideas are still spread nationwide but just in different ways. Today, social media is the most common way to spread the agenda of a political party and these include Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat etc. This is relevant to the movie because, back in 1971, the Newspaper was put on the same scale as social media today because that was their most common way of circulating news/information. With the creation and expansion of AI, social media is in trouble because with all the different personalities and types of people on social media, it can be difficult to tell when something is AI generated or real, but fake news has always been prevalent and we will find a way to have it not affect us too greatly. Lastly, Freedom of the Press is incredibly important because it is essential if we want to protect our right of Freedom of Speech. The press is used to share opinions and information, and limiting this is a direct violation of the freedom of speech. The press also informs our country and the citizens that live here that it is vital to have a range of opinions that can be freely expressed.
22. Maggie W June 3, 2024 at 12:51 pm

    1.Since the 1970s the period in which The Post was set in, there have been many nuances in technology and this is relevant when thinking about the movie because this has revolutionized newspapers and publishing. I think it is right to say that this age (of crusading newspapers) will never return. The game has totally changed since then. While there are still newspapers today they are much less prevalent and important because many people get their news from online news websites, television, and even social media. I don’t think a recession from this large influence of technology will occur. But this move does glorify the age of crusading newspapers by representing the excitement of getting a paper published everyday and the intense competition between different newspaper companies. But I would assume that this competition is still present between online newspapers/news websites.
    2.In the film, The Post, there are multiple scenes showing Katherine Graham in a room surrounded by men in nice suits. Examples of this are instances such as when she met Tom Hanks for breakfast and when she went to a meeting. She often seems unsure of herself and is too scared to talk in the meeting and embarrassed after knocking over a chair and bringing all her work. This is how she is portrayed at the beginning of the movie but as it continues she becomes more confident in her role and also becomes a strong player in the newspaper relations and as a big decision maker. She was constantly having various men whispering in her ear and telling her what to do. They all wanted to influence her and get her to listen to them. This may have been how she lived in the beginning of the movie but by the end she was in the position to make her own unique decisions.
    3.I think that this movie is incredibly timely because freedom of the press is crucially important, especially to the United States and the democratic ideals that we are supposed to stand for. There will always be people who want to speak out (or rather, write out) about topics that they find very important and in response there will always be people on the other side of the issue who want to silence the outspoken group. The only issue with this is the prevalence of “fake news” and similar to the movie, lying in the press. This can cause terror and misinformation to spread, especially with social media and its influence to create quick spreading information without much check for credibility. In today’s time there is so much information being taken in at such a high speed, that freedom of the press is both damaging and beneficial for the general public. Freedom of the press allows people to speak their mind without being silenced or “muzzled” but could also spread a lot of false information or logical fallacies. Because of this, media literacy, a topic I have learned a lot about in English class this year, is something that needs to be improved in the United States but people also need to be educated on it more.
23. Ashley Glime June 3, 2024 at 12:54 pm

    In this movie they are so dependent on receiving information from papers. They also use typewriters heavily and write papers using the information that they get on papers. This is different to today’s time because if we want some information we can just look something up on the internet on a liable source. It is still similar though because if you want some private federal papers you would have to have the actual physical copy of this. Newspapers are still a form of writing today, I still receive a newspaper in the mail once a week. I will admit that I have never fully read a newspaper in today’s day and age. This is so different compared to back then because newspapers were the main way that news and other information was received. I think that this movie does glorify the newspaper age. It shows all of the behind the scenes work with these men which really shows all of the effort and dedication that people in a newspaper company do. I think it really shows the strength of these newspaper companies that unfortunately is slowly going away. People now can just sit on a laptop and write an article versus having to use the typewriters to try and publish anything. Nowadays also there are multiple articles about the same topic. Whereas in the post by publishing that paper there was so much at stake.
    Katherine at the start of the film seems very overpowered by the men in her workplace. Her husband had just died who ran the business which really put her in an awkward position with all of these men. She for a while is in the shadows of men who think they are more powerful than her. When she makes the decision to publish the pentagon papers she really turns it around. Everyone admires her immense bravery for putting herself and her career on the line which really shows her power and lack of fear up against the men who a lot of them would have published.
    Fake news is so prominent today. We recently just learned about the different types of fake news within our society and it is so incredibly prominent. This movie is relevant to this time with the issues of the sources. Today similar sources are still prominent which can relate to issues today. Freedom of the press is so important because its like the freedom of speech and if you take this away you are putting the freedom of speech in jeopardy.
24. Camelia June 3, 2024 at 1:01 pm

    1. A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?

    Life has changed drastically from the 1970s to now. Most notably would be the technological advancments we’ve accomplished. Our TVs arent black and white, our cellphones are now portable, and most recently AI has taken over our lives as we know it. Other than technology, our politics have made a drastic shift as well. For example the 1970s political clomate was heavily focused on the Cold War as that was what was current at the time. Today you can see people concerened with the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Trump trial, and the major division in our political parties. I believe the movie to be glorifying an age that may never comeback regarding newspapers. We currently all get our news from our phones, the internet, etc. It’s all technological. The process of releasing news has so drastically changed that focusing on how a paper is printed is not as important currently which creates such an emphasis on it, creating a sense of glorification/reminiscing.

    2. Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.

    Throughout the movie The Washington Post is portrayed as an upcoming newspaper that is led by a woman, which was extremely unconventional for the time. While watching the movie you are given multiple hints that Katherine Graham was one of kind. A woman in a position of power. An example of this is when Katherine would enter into board meetings and be greeted by multiple men, but no woman in sight, In these meetings she was only seen, never heard. Her opinions and comments were always overshadowed by the mens. Comparatively by the end of the movie Katherine is seen walking out of courtroom after just winning a case for the press. As she was walking out she was surrounded by a women, a clear contrast to only being surrounded by men in her meetings and work place. She was seen as powerful and strong by these women. She was viewed as a woman who finally stood up and took a stand and demanded to be heard, pushing for change in her particular field, which inspired many. Throughout the movie she faced many hardships in making a career for herself where she was respected and not viewed as just her sex, a woman. She faces lots of pushback from men but she stuck to her gut and continued to make her own decisions without allowing men to influence them.

    3. The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?

    This film is relevant because you can make a clear connection between todays politicons and the politicians in Nixons time. There has always been corrupt politicians, and there will most likely always will be. This topic of “fake news” is relevant today because of the fact that it’s a timeless issue. With the use of AI in most recent times, fake news has become more then just word of mouth. You can now create physical evidence of it. With this new development and the power of fake news, films like this are essential to keep audiences and people aware of its effects and consequences. Freedom of press is important for multiple reasons, one of them being that it allows the people to state their opinions and allow for all information to be released instead of censoring the people. Its a first amendment right and needs to be defended and upheld. Without freedom of press we are nothing but sheep in a heard. Its essential for a thriving democracy.
25. Will Reynolds June 3, 2024 at 1:02 pm

    Life has changed significantly since the time period depicted in the movie. All aspects of life have changed mostly due to technological innovations since then. In my opinion, the expansion of the personal computer along with the innovations made with phones have had the most drastic effects on society as a whole. The connectivity that the internet and mobile telephones brought allowed communication to be much more efficient, in turn making the entire world more efficient in manufacturing, trade, and transportation. In terms of the creation of Newspapers, there are now far fewer physical newspapers that are economically successful. Online news has become much more common, and far more news sources have become prominent due to the accessibility of online news. This has made people more informed to some extent, but it can also lead people to be misled by seemingly reputable news sources. I think that this movie did glorify the crusading newspapers in a way that is more entertaining to audiences as a movie. They likely exaggerated the importance of many events and the kind of secretive nature of the information they received.
    Toward the beginning of the movie, Katherine Graham is depicted as someone who is forced into a leadership role without being fully prepared. We can see this when she seems overshadowed by the various board members and any ideas she has are disregarded. Her ideas were often chalked up to her being an emotional woman. She takes the role of a stereotypical woman who falls into the background even within her own company. However, as the movie progresses we see her mature into a more prominent figure in the company. I think we can see this when many of the prominent figures in the movie gather around her to talk about publishing the papers. When she gives her speech, she takes a more leadership role and refuses to concede to any other men who are interrupting her and she gains respect from many. She stands by her decision and the men have no choice but to accept that she is the owner and leader of the company.
    I think the film is very relevant today. The fake news of today has actually been regulated as the purposeful distortion of news is illegal. The argument against this is very similar to the one we see in the movie. While the White House believes that the publishing of these materials is harmful, does that give them the right to violate people’s rights? Stopping people from publishing any information, whether true or not, is technically a violation of the complete freedom of speech. The real issue is how much the government is willing to violate the complete freedom of speech. While some regulation of the press is necessary to stop people from being completely misled, it is technically violating freedom of speech. The balance between safety and freedom that is being argued in the movie is almost identical to today.
26. Josh Peltz June 3, 2024 at 1:10 pm

    A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?

    Life has drastically changed since 1971. The payphones that were used then are now replaced by cell phones that nearly everyone has. Newspapers, which were the primary source of info, have been overtaken by social media and the internet. Digital messaging, emailing, and apps like Snapchat have replaced the teletype machines. Black and white TVs have been replaced by color TVs and high-definition TVs, as well as even virtual reality headsets. Now there are streaming services and many new ways to find entertainment, like Amazon Prime, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, YouTube, and more. I believe the film glorifies the age of crusading newspapers that may never come back, specifically through its portrayal of the technology of the time. This is clear in some scenes, such as when many people had a simultaneous phone conversation within one house, discussing the publication of sensitive papers. This scene is an example of the technological capabilities of the era. Another scene portrays many people in the Washington Post’s office gathered around only one small black-and-white TV, capturing everyone’s attention (the one in the picture on the blog). Now everyone would be able to just check their phone or watch a much bigger TV instead of all huddling in front of a tiny black and white TV. The movie tried to glorify the age of crusading newspapers, as that glorious age will likely never come back. The movie creates an experience for younger people who weren’t around in the 70s to be able to experience the different thrills and advancements of technology in that era. It allows us to compare what people back then thought was remarkable to what we think is in today’s age.

    Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.

    At first, Katherine Graham was portrayed as just the owner who always listened to her advisers and never truly showed her power. For example, in a meeting, the men were arguing with each other about how to be more profitable, while Katherine had it written in her notes but didn’t have a chance to say anything as the men talked over her. The men said she only had her power because Phil, her husband, died and gave her his spot. During a meeting, she presented statistics and facts about the paper going public. She is ignored and pushed around by the so-called “more experienced” and “more important” powerful male players of the paper. The men treat her almost like a child, babying her, and Katherine goes along with this, following their instructions and playing the role of just the rich white woman. Katherine, since she was a woman with status, received secret important information from important men because a woman was perceived by men back then to not be as smart enough to do anything with it. When she decides to release the papers, the stereotypes of her are flipped and everyone takes her seriously and now fears her power to expose the government. She earns an immense amount of respect from Ben Bradlee. The men from the boardroom tried to treat her like they did earlier in the movie telling her she couldn’t publish the papers, but she trusted her intuition and made her own decision keeping in mind her First Amendment rights including the freedom of the press as well as the goodwill of the nation. Her reluctance to take action at the beginning of the movie has progressed significantly as reflected in her bold decisions at the end of the movie. It takes real courage for Katherine to publish the papers as she and many others could face jail, lose their jobs, and even damage their reputations because of it.

    The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?

    Nowadays, with all the talk about “fake news” and with many people distrusting the government, this movie feels relevant. Social media makes it so easy to spread information, but it’s also just as easy for that information to be false. When you see what Trump did a couple of years ago to control the media because he didn’t like what was being said, it feels like history was repeating itself. This movie shows how important it is to have freedom of the press. It’s like a safeguard against government oppression. Without it, we wouldn’t know if the government was hiding something from us, which could be dangerous. Freedom of the press acts as a check on the government’s power and helps keep us informed, protecting our rights and freedoms. It’s especially important now, with situations like what Donald Trump did in his presidency. This topic has died down a little, but if Trump happens to get elected again, this topic will likely continue to be the center of discussions and cause lots of controversy. Also with the Israel-Hamas war and the many protests, it is so important to get both sides of the story and avoid any types of biases to allow people to formulate their own opinions based on real facts.
27. Mateo Milanini June 3, 2024 at 1:19 pm

    Since the movie was made and since the time period it portrays, the modern world has massively changed, through advancements in technology and objects of daily life. We have had massive progress in technology especially, which can be seen through the huge use of phones and social media, colored TVs, and one of the biggest advancements, electric cars. Even clothes and ways of living have changed drastically, with more chill and relaxing styles, and a lifestyle that is more adapted to comfort and wellbeing. The age and time period that this movie is glorifying is a very fascinating one and one that a lot find as possibly better than modern society. This age was all about technological advancements and progress in machines to make humans’ lives easier. It is a stage of progress that we will most likely never see again, although our modern society is still somewhat similar in terms of the progress we are still making.
    In the movie, the character of Katherine Graham is first portrayed as someone who is being put on the side a lot, being overshadowed by all the powerful men superior to her. As the movie progresses, she is seen to take a lot more action and to care less about the powerful men surrounding her. She shows this when she publishes the Pentagon Papers, knowing the legal and political consequences it could have, and knowing the men didn’t want her to. Katherine is also often challenged by men who think themselves superior to her. She stands her ground, staying determined to not be silenced and not wanting to fall as a victim to them.
    There have been so many issues from old to modern history revolving around press liberty and honesty that it must always be addressed. In fact, the first amendment ever written in the country addressed freedom of speech and of the press, identifying the importance of having a free press to report on all sorts of issues. With a free press, however, come many issues regarding media bias or corruption to report wrong news or propaganda. In fact, news outlets have often been controlled by powerful people to turn people in their favor and influence American citizens to vote for them in elections, for example. With AI becoming a very powerful tool to build fake videos, audios, or texts of people, verifying that news outlets are unbiased and 100% correct is very important, and more crucial than any time before so that you are not influenced by fake news and pointed towards believing certain things.
28. Myles Rontal June 3, 2024 at 1:20 pm

    Back in 1971, Communication was largely done through landline telephones, pay phones, letters, and in-person interactions. News was distributed via newspapers, television, and radio. Teletype machines were used in newsrooms for communication. Today, We have smartphones, the internet, email, social media, and instant messaging apps. News is available 24/7 through websites, apps, and various digital platforms. Information spreads almost instantaneously. Back in 1971, Newspapers were a primary source of news. People would wait for the morning or evening edition to get updates. Television news was limited to specific times. Today, Many people consume news on demand through digital devices. Traditional newspapers have largely been replaced by online news sites, blogs, and social media. Back in 1971, Offices were filled with typewriters, paper files, and physical documents. Meetings were held in person or over the phone. Today, Digital devices, cloud computing, and virtual meetings are standard. Work can be done remotely, and collaboration tools have made physical office space less essential. Back in 1971, Society was more formal in dress and communication. The Vietnam War, civil rights movements, and gender equality were major issues. Today, there’s a more casual approach to dress and communication. Social issues have evolved, and there’s a greater awareness of global interconnectedness and digital privacy. This era won’t return because of social media and the mass spread of information online.
    Early in the film, Graham is depicted as somewhat uncertain and deferential during a board meeting. She struggles to assert herself among the predominantly male board members, reflecting her initial lack of confidence in her role. Graham is often shown in meetings with bankers and lawyers, who treat her condescendingly. This is especially evident when she seeks to take The Washington Post public. The men frequently talk over her and dismiss her opinions, highlighting the gender dynamics she has to navigate. Graham’s relationship with Ben Bradlee, the executive editor of The Washington Post, is crucial to her development. Initially, she is somewhat unsure about her decisions and relies heavily on Bradlee’s judgment. However, as the film progresses, she begins to assert her authority more confidently. Scenes with her family and social circle also show her struggle to balance her social identity with her emerging role as a powerful publisher. The film’s climax centers on the decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, a critical moment for Graham. Despite immense pressure from legal advisors and the possibility of personal and professional ruin, she makes the bold choice to publish, demonstrating her growth into a decisive leader. This decision is a defining moment, showcasing her courage and commitment to journalistic integrity. In a significant scene, Arthur Parsons questions her ability to lead the company, implying that her position is due to her late husband’s legacy. Graham firmly stands her ground, stating that she is the one in charge, indicating her newfound confidence and authority. At the end of the film, after deciding to publish the Pentagon Papers, Graham walks through the newsroom. The camera follows her, capturing the respectful gazes of the journalists and staff. This walk symbolizes her acceptance and recognition as a legitimate and powerful leader in the eyes of her employees. As Graham leaves the courtroom, she walks past a group of young women who look at her with admiration. This moment signifies her role as a trailblazer and an inspiration for future generations of women leaders.
    The term “fake news” has become pervasive, often used to discredit legitimate journalism and sow distrust in the media. This climate echoes the Nixon administration’s attempts to control the narrative and suppress information that painted the government in a negative light. This movie has highlighted the essential role of the press in uncovering and reporting the truth, even in the face of governmental pressure. Just as Nixon’s administration sought to silence the press through legal injunctions, modern governments and leaders worldwide have attempted to undermine journalistic integrity and independence. This includes labeling unfavorable coverage as biased or false and threatening legal action against media outlets. The film emphasizes the vital role of investigative journalism in holding those in power accountable. The publication of the Pentagon Papers revealed government deception about the Vietnam War, demonstrating how crucial a free press is in maintaining transparency and democracy. In recent years, leaks and whistleblowers have played significant roles in exposing government and corporate misconduct. The Post reinforces the idea that protecting sources and publishing critical information, even at great personal and professional risk, is necessary for an informed public. The Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. New York Times underscored the judiciary’s role in protecting press freedom against executive overreach. This legal precedent is crucial today as journalists and media organizations face legal challenges, subpoenas, and other threats aimed at censoring or controlling the press. The film portrays the ethical dilemmas faced by journalists and publishers, such as balancing the public’s right to know against potential national security concerns. By highlighting the rigorous process and ethical considerations involved in investigative reporting, the film helps restore public trust in journalism, countering the skepticism fueled by claims of “fake news.” A free press is fundamental to democracy because it ensures that citizens are informed about government actions and can hold their leaders accountable. Without press freedom, government abuses can go unchecked, and the public remains in the dark. The press acts as a check on power, preventing the concentration and abuse of authority. This is especially important in times of political and social upheaval, where the risk of authoritarianism rises.
29. Isabela V June 3, 2024 at 1:20 pm

    1. Since the 1970s, almost every single aspect of life has changed. Many of the changes can be attributed to the rise of the internet and mobile devices. For example, pay phones have been replaced by cellphones, newspapers have been replaced by online news, and black and white TVs (and TVs in general) have been replaced by color TVs and, more recently, streaming services. From the half of the movie that I was able to watch in class, I don’t believe that the film was glorifying the 1970s. It seems to me that the film just accurately represents this time period by showing aspects of life that are true to 1971. From the formal clothing that is worn to the fact that many characters smoke, even inside, the audience can clearly tell that this film takes place in the 1970s. However, this film does not glorify this era. To glorify it would mean to make it seem better than it was, but this movie does not romanticize any aspects of the 1970s. Instead, this film takes a factual and literal take when presenting details of the 1970s.
    2. While I was not able to watch the first half of the movie, I got the sense that Katherine Graham was thought of as less powerful by other male executives not only due to the fact that she is the only woman on the executive board making the decisions, but also by the way male characters treat her throughout the film. After making the initial tentative decision to publish the documents, many of Katherine’s advisors and employees attempt to sway her decision. In one particular scene, Katherine finds her voice and tells all of these advisors that the decision is hers because the company is hers, and when she stands by her original decision, she is much more confident and sure of herself, which can be seen from her vocal tone and body language. After this scene, Katherine has asserted herself as a powerful company owner, and her colleagues are more willing to follow her orders.
    3. Freedom of the press is crucial. One scene from the movie puts it perfectly- Katherine tells another character a saying that her late husband had, that the press is a first rough draft of history. By saying this, Katherine is implying that without freedom of the press, history would potentially start off with incorrect information, and eventually, the true facts would be so covered up that no one would know what actually happened. Throughout the entire movie, Katherine stays true to her values and defends the cause that she thinks is right, even when it is unpopular with other heads of the newspaper. Ultimately, this movie highlights the importance of freedom of the press and shines a light on issues that still come up today.
30. Alexander Chebl June 3, 2024 at 1:49 pm

    Since 1971, so much has changed in life. These days, pay phones, newspapers, and teletype are uncommon. These things are still in use today by some older generations and are still part of the world. All generations still use newspapers regularly today. Since the development of color TVs, black and white TVs are no longer in use. Additionally, the attire shifted from being formal and traditional to being less formal and traditional. In those days, men wore vests or striped shirts with pants, and women wore skirts and dresses. Like many other aspects of society, traditional clothing has undergone significant change since the 1900s. Because it demonstrates how women can overcome gender stereotypes and rise to positions of power in traditionally male-dominated fields, this movie presents Katherine Graham as a lone woman.

    With various examples, this film depicts her transformation from a wealthy publisher to a strong force. Graham gives off the impression of being a dedicated worker who is invested in the stories she covers. This movie depicts Graham waking up in her bed in the middle of the night, surrounded by binders and papers, to demonstrate the commitment of women in the workforce. This demonstrates how committed Graham has been to her reporting, despite the government pushing her aside to prevent her from covering the Vietnam War. Some men make fun of Graham because she is the only woman in the room and is constantly the center of attention when she speaks or does anything else. Graham has to show her notes to the man sitting next to her in order for her ideas to be heard during these meetings because she feels unheard. However, a few of these men continue to criticize her behind her back for the way she manages the company and hires staff. In addition, she discussed how she doesn’t know what she is doing and that the only reason she manages the newspaper is because her spouse passed away in an accident.

    This movie is important because it demonstrates how strong women can be and the difficulties they face when working in fields where men thrive. This is also important given the current political climate, the controversies surrounding the president, and the efforts of certain government officials to stifle press coverage of the former president, either completely suppress it altogether or to present it in a favorable way. Press freedom is crucial because it allows us to publish the truth and other people’s opinions without fear of retaliation, even from those who would like to silence writers who present the truth to the public.
31. Molly Heller June 3, 2024 at 1:53 pm

    1. Times have changed because technology has become so advanced in such a short period of time and continues to have more advancements as time goes on. Pay phones have advanced to mobile telephones, TV’s have been improved to have color. This movie is glorifying this age because it is making a time known that we have not experienced in nowadays and we have gotten so used to the new technology and everything at ease and in our hands because of phones instead of a newspaper. Clothing and fashion has also changed a lot since then because of expectations for what women should wear and how they should act. In the past, women were expected to wear long skirts and shirts to cover up all of their body because it was unacceptable, but now women are free to wear whatever they want and wear whatever makes them feel comfortable.
    2. Kathrine Graham is portrayed as the lone woman by her role in society and in her job. She is one of very few women to be working in this job, and she is alone compared to all of the men who have each other as a built-in support system. Graham is dedicated to her work and her job, but she is still treated as less than the men. We also know that in the past as well as in current life, women are often paid much less than men and treated as though they do not know what they are doing and are not as good at their jobs as men are. When the situation with the pentagon papers occurs in the company, she begins to be recognized by her coworkers and she receives more respect and acknowledgement than she has had before.
    3. This film is relevant today in many ways, the one that specifically comes to my mind being the role of women in society and how they are treated by men both in a work environment and just in everyday life. The freedom of press is a basic right, it is one of the first things that our country decided to embed in our rights as a citizen, there is nothing that can or should have the power to take these rights away. Freedom of press is so important because it allows people to express their thoughts and ideas freely. It also allows information to be available to most people, so that the country stays informed on the things that are or could be occurring in their country. However, nowadays because of the increased websites and places that information can be spread, it is easier to spread misinformation or false information which can affect people in a negative way. This is one way that things have changed and in this sense, in some scenarios, it has not changed for the better when more false information is being spread and it becomes more difficult to tell real from fake.
32. Em Rito June 3, 2024 at 2:02 pm

    A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?
    Life since the late 1960s/early 1970s has changed drastically to now, in the mid 2020s. Starting off with technology and what we use to literate ourselves on the events occurring around the world that correlate to us and, also, those that don’t. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, people regularly used newspapers to be informed and television was also a common way to be informed, since it had been around for around 20 years. Although, in our day and age, we primarily use devices like telephones and laptops to achieve work and literate ourselves. Newspapers have become more and more rare, and the early 2000s were likely the last time that people would truly rely on newspapers for information. The age of crusading newspapers has faded away drastically and has been replaced by the newer technology that was popularized in the 1990s. They will likely never come back due to the fact that technology is more convenient nowadays and that technology is still advancing, to the point where it might even become an easier access and things like online articles and news reporters will continue to become more popularized.

    Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.
    Throughout the film, Katherine was constantly compared to her husband and the work that he accomplished and he efforts and achievements were undermined by many due to the fact that she is a woman. But, although she faced massive amounts of sexism and challenges of all shapes and sizes, she persevered and refused to conform, even when her company was at risk because she saw it as fit. Her decisions throughout the film brought her from being a socialist publisher to a powerful player in the game of press, showing how women’s rights and roles were changing from the late 1960s to early 1970s and that her not conforming has inspired and influenced millions of women to this day.

    The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?

    By spreading misinformation during the time of the Vietname War, people lost faith in the government and made things like hippies (people who rebelled against the government) more common and popularized due to the fact that they had been proved right. Events like Watergate didn’t improve this anymore, due to the fact that people lost all faith that the government was doing what was in their best interest and that it wasn’t corrupt. Fake news has been popularized more through political campaigns, especially those targeting presidency, in our current day and age (and likely back then, as well, but it is more popularized now due to technology and false information being more easily spread) makes this movie relevant and timely. Freedom of the press and speech is important, though, regardless, due to the fact that it is one of the rights that people have and that information should be spread freely and protected, but news literacy should be more highly valued so that you can easily understand what is true and false in narratives spread through the press. By not allowing press to be free, it makes it seem like the government is hiding something and it is technically unconstitutional, since it is going against the Bill of Rights and the ammendments that the U.S. has created to prove that their rule is better than the U.K.’s, which originally limited press and speech freedom.
33. Corinne June 3, 2024 at 2:10 pm

    Life has changed immensely since 1971 in all ways possible, from society, to technology, and beyond. The most obvious changes include things such as cell phones, the Internet, social media, color TVs, new fashions, and more. However, societal changes have occurred as well. For example, women such as Katherine Graham, while still undermined, are much more common and respected in male-dominated fields, with various college programs and efforts being made to push them forward and help them achieve their dreams. In fact, in the later part of the decade, the women’s rights movement began to move in full force, gathering such wins as Title IX for schools This movie in particular very much romanticizes the age of crusading newspapers, as shown in the way each scene is shot and framed to emphasize the power held by the writers. The larger-than-life characters, music, cinematography, and more all contribute to a feeling of great importance and longing for such a time. However, with the rise of social media as the main influencer rather than papers, an era like this may likely never exist again.

    Katherine Graham starts off as very naive and not as cold in the field of news as her coworkers. This can be seen when she attempts to criticize negative stories concerning her socialite friends, intentionally trying to block freedom of the press. She also starts out as polite and avoidant of confrontation, unwilling to assert dominance over her male peers. One major example of this is when she visits McNamara, who screams at her to move against publishing the controversial papers for fear of governmental backlash. The stakes are extremely high, but she finally finds her footing when making the ultimate decision to go ahead with the publication despite the disapproval of many in her company. After that, she is taken much more seriously and begins to truly carry herself as the highly influential leader of the Post.

    With the topics discussed in the film, it is incredibly timely and relevant to today’s events. Back in the early 70s, politicians such as Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon were trying to block negative stories from being run in the press, claiming that it was unfair, unconstitutional, and a “witch hunt” if any negative story in the papers were to be run. Today, there are still politicians who shy away from bad press, even going so far as to use the same tactics Nixon and Agnew once did. The freedom of these writers to publish the truth must be kept safe, otherwise America will be plunged into a dark state of ignorance, which only breeds hatred and division. If one party harnesses full control of the press, a miserable future is sure to follow. Additionally, with the widespread problem of fake news, spurred on by the rise of social media and newfound ease that comes with sharing information in a single click, focusing on trustworthy sources and papers is more crucial than ever. Especially considering the turbulent events of the modern era, it is nonnegotiable that every American has access to a factual, unbiased news source.
34. Hadi Berro June 3, 2024 at 2:30 pm

    1. Life in the aspect of how news is made, read, and produced has changed substantially in the way all of this is produced. The process still seems to be the same, technology has just evolved from before. Talking in the sphere of communication much has changed. Before 1971 communication was done through payphones, landlines, and handwritten letters. Today we have smartphones, instant messaging, and emails, making communication much faster and more efficient. Before information was available to the public through radio, newspapers, and TV for the ones who could afford it. These days we can access all of this info through our handheld electronics. All we have to go to are websites, social media, and news apps, to access information much faster and more efficiently. The problem with all of these online sources of news is that misinformation is easily spread and sometimes easily believed by its viewers. The movie does try and glorify the era of crusading newspapers, it tries to highlight their essential role in a stable society and democracy. It makes the journalists seem to be heroes fighting for the truth. The film does try to focus on dramatizing moments in the film such as publishing a paper about the Vietnam War to give off a more heroic, dramatized, and glorified feeling. They do this most likely because this era of journalism was often known to be the golden age of journalism, so they wanted to create a sense of nostalgia.

    2. In the early parts of the film Katherine is portrayed as just a wife who inherited her dead husband’s role as the Publisher of The Washington Post, so her presence and value were undermined by male-dominated board members and leaders. An example of this is at the early board meeting where Katherine seems to be nervous and uncomfortable, while the other malke members dominate the conversation and overlook Katherine’s contribution when in actuality she is supposed to be the boss. The good thing is that throughout the rest of the film, Katherine shows growth in leadership, and that is backed up with many examples. Katherine had to decide to publish the Pentagon papers which most of her lawyers and board members advised against because of the financial and legal repercussions. Despite all of this she stood her ground as a leader should and decided to publish the papers. Another important and symbolic moment showing Katherine’s growing leadership ability and presence is when she walks out of the court hearing at the end of the film, and all the women look at her in admiration and respect, because she has become a powerful leader in a densely populated male environment. What ties it all together is Katherine’s final board meeting. She is seen in the final board meeting as a real leader unlike before. When she speaks she speaks as though she demands the attention and respect of her male colleagues. This was day and night to the first board meeting that we witnessed.

    3. I can use this film as evident and timely because time and time again politicians say that they are for the freedom of the press until the press exposes them or poses a threat to their image and/or reputation. Comparing the attempt to try and muzzle the press in 1971 to now the accusations of “fake news” by politicians to journalists and newspapers is another way to protect themselves and discredit the journalists. Another example that shows that the film is relevant and timely today is the role of whistleblowers both in the film and today. In the film, the Pentagon Papers were leaked by Daniel Ellsberg. Today we have witle blowers like Edward Snowden who continue to expose government corruption and secrets. Freedom of the press is extremely important and essential to a working democracy. Freedom of the Press provided the public with most of the time unbiased information so the citizens could make decisions on for example who to vote for as president. Freedom of the Press holds those in power in any country including ours for their corruption and dirty secrets being kept from the public which can change the decisions for the upcoming leaders indefinitely. A very important point is that Freedom of the Press provides diverse perspectives on important topics, so we don’t only have to take in the information and opinions that the government wants us to take in, but information and opinions from many different people and organizations. What I think sums it up perfectly is a quote said by Justice Hugio Black a Supreme Court Judge who was present during the New York Times Co. vs. The New York Times Supreme Court case. The New York Times ended up winning and Black reasoned that “The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”
35. Rocco Firth June 3, 2024 at 2:40 pm

    Life Changes Since 1971:
    Technology: The transition from physical to digital has transformed communication, information, and media. Pay phones have been replaced by cell phones, and newspapers by digital news platforms. Black and white TVs have given way to HD and streaming services.
    Information Access: The internet has revolutionized access to information, enabling real time updates and a larger range of voices and perspectives. Social media platforms allow anyone and everyone to publish content, significantly changing the media landscape.
    Work Culture: The professional environment has also changed with more women and minorities in various industries. The push for diversity and inclusion has gained more traction.
    Political Landscape: The dynamics of political power and influence have evolved, with more scrutiny and accountability for public officials, although new challenges such as misinformation and political polarization have emerged.
    Glorification of an Age:The movie does indeed celebrate a time when newspapers played a crucial role in checking government power and informing the public. While the traditional model of crusading newspapers may never fully return due to the digital shift, the core values of investigative journalism and holding power to account remain relevant. The film nostalgically portrays a period when print media was a dominant force, reflecting on its significant impact on democracy.
    Katherine Graham’s Growth in the Film
    Portrayal of Katherine Graham:
    Initial Position: The film begins with Katherine Graham (played by Meryl Streep) as a somewhat reluctant and inexperienced publisher of The Washington Post. She is portrayed as a socialite who inherited the position after her husband’s death, navigating a male-dominated world with hesitation and deference.
    Key Moments of Growth:
    Board Meetings- Early scenes show her being overshadowed and dismissed by
    male executives and board members, highlighting her initial lack of authority.
    Interactions with Lawyers and Bankers: Her interactions with advisors, particularly during the decision to go public, underscore her initial insecurities and the patronizing attitudes of the men around her.
    Decision to Publish: Her pivotal moment comes when she decides to publish the Pentagon Papers despite legal threats and potential financial ruin. This decision, against the counsel of many male advisors, marks a turning point in her character, showcasing her growing confidence and resolve.
    Final Scenes: By the end of the film, Katherine Graham is depicted as a formidable leader, having earned the respect of her peers and asserting her authority within the company and the broader journalistic community.
    Timeliness and Relevance of the Film
    Relevance to Today’s Media Landscape:
    Freedom of the Press: The film underscores the timeless struggle for press freedom, emphasizing that it must be defended continually. The historical context of Nixon’s attempts to silence the press parallels contemporary issues where media credibility and independence are under threat.
    “Fake News” and Media Trust: In an era where accusations of “fake news” are prevalent, the film’s message about the essential role of a free and independent press in a democracy resonates strongly. It highlights the importance of investigative journalism in uncovering the truth and holding power accountable.
    Legal and Political Challenges: The movie’s depiction of the legal battles faced by the press mirrors current challenges where journalists and media organizations encounter legal and political pressure.
    Importance of Freedom of the Press:
    Democratic Safeguard: A free press is a cornerstone of democracy, ensuring that citizens are informed about government actions and policies, which is vital for public accountability and transparency.
    Voice for the Voiceless: The press serves as a platform for marginalized and dissenting voices, fostering a more inclusive and representative public discourse.
    Check on Power: By investigating and exposing corruption, abuse of power, and injustices, the press acts as a critical check on governmental and corporate power.
36. Clare G June 3, 2024 at 2:40 pm

    Since the time period in the movie, we’ve seen a huge shift in technology and media. Payphones, telephones and newspapers have become portable cell phones and online news services. Color television has become widely used and streaming services like Hulu and Netflix are often used in place of regular cable. The clothing styles have also shifted, with women transitioning from skirts and heels to leggings and sneakers, and men changing from polos and vests to t-shirts and sweatshirts. The movie seems to glorify the past by showing a time when the media would unite people and had a large influence on the public. Nowadays, there are so many sources of information for people to evaluate and decide their opinion on, that this kind of unity isn’t often achieved.

    In the film, Katherine Graham is portrayed as the lone woman in a world full of powerful men, including lawyers, bankers, and government officials. Initially, she appears unsure of herself and often relies on the advice of the men around her. This is especially clear in board meetings where her contributions are overshadowed by assertive male members. However, her growth becomes evident as she faces the decision to publish the Pentagon Papers. Despite immense pressure from her male advisors, Graham decides to go ahead with the publication, marking her transition from a hesitant publisher to a decisive leader. Her newfound confidence is highlighted in conversations with key characters like Ben Bradlee, where her voice becomes more authoritative. By the end of the film, she is portrayed as a confident leader, earning the respect of her peers and standing as an equal in the industry.

    Nixon’s attempts to muzzle the press through injunctions against the New York Times and the Washington Post, and the subsequent Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. New York Times, underscore the crucial role of the judiciary in protecting press freedom. Today, with ongoing debates about “fake news” and media credibility, the film resonates strongly. It reminds us that a free press is essential for holding those in power accountable and ensuring transparency. The film is timely because it parallels current events where the press faces attacks and attempts at censorship, highlighting the need to defend journalistic integrity. Freedom of the press is vital because it provides the public with accurate information, creates informed citizenship, and acts as a check on government and corporate power, preserving democracy and preventing abuses of authority.
37. Carl June 3, 2024 at 2:43 pm

    1. “The Post” recreates 1971 with elements like pay phones, newspapers, teletype machines, black and white TVs, and period-appropriate clothing. Life has changed significantly since then with the invention of new digital technology. Today, we have smartphones, the internet, social media, and 24/7 news cycles, drastically changing how news is consumed and distributed. These changes have led to the decline of print newspapers and a shift towards online journalism and instant news updates. The movie does evoke nostalgia for an era when newspapers were powerful crusaders for truth and democracy. This portrayal can be seen as glorifying the role that investigative journalism played in holding power accountable. While the prominence of print newspapers as the primary source of information may never return, new sources of media, such as social media are taking up the role.

    2. In “The Post,” Katherine Graham is portrayed as a transformative figure who evolves from a socialite publisher to a decisive and powerful leader. At the start of the film, Graham is depicted as unsure of her role, often overshadowed by the male executives and advisors around her. Specific scenes illustrate her initial hesitance and the patronizing attitudes she faces from powerful men, such as lawyers and bankers who question her decisions and capabilities. A key moment in Graham’s growth is when she decides to publish the Pentagon Papers, despite significant pressure and legal risks. This decision marks a turning point, showcasing her transition from a tentative figurehead to a determined leader willing to take bold risks for the sake of journalistic integrity. By the film’s end, she is depicted as a trailblazer who not only stands up to the male-dominated power structures but also sets a precedent for future generations of women in leadership roles.

    3. “The Post” is highly relevant and timely, particularly in the context of contemporary issues surrounding the media, such as the prevalence of “fake news” and ongoing debates over press freedom. The film parallels today’s struggles with government attempts to undermine and discredit the press, highlighting the necessity of a free and independent media as a cornerstone of democracy. In the film, the attempts by the Nixon administration to silence The New York Times and The Washington Post reflect contemporary concerns about governmental overreach and censorship. The Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. New York Times reinforces the principle that the press must be free to publish information that is in the public interest, a principle that remains crucial today.
38. Margaux Nollet June 3, 2024 at 4:15 pm

    1. Life has significantly changed from what is depicted in the movies, along with many elements such as pay phones, newspapers, teletypes, black-and-white TVs, and period-specific clothing. For example, in the movie and back in 1971, people used to smoke in restaurants and public spaces, whereas now there are no-smoking signs everywhere. Additionally, typewriters, pay phones, and newspapers have been replaced by electronic devices such as computers, iPhones, and other forms of online communication. This has also impacted the number of newspapers, such as The New York Times. In the movie, we see them printing countless copies, whereas now they publish their articles online. TVs have also evolved from big, grainy black-and-white sets to high-definition colored ones. I also notice that while people still wear the more formal attire like we see in the movie, casual clothing like jeans and shorts have become more common in workplaces.
    I do think the movie glorified the age of crusading newspapers. For example, they try to make the publishing companies look like a cohesive unit that works together to uncover important stories, which isn’t really true. This makes it seem as though journalism back then was less chaotic and more about having more important stories. I also don’t think that this age will come back because of how much technology has evolved. Nowadays, people read from their phones or computers, and most newspapers publish their stories online. All these changes make it hard to imagine a time in the future where people will go back to paper. 

    2. The movie portrays Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male figures, including lawyers and bakers. One specific instance from the movie where we see her growth from a socialite publisher to a powerful player is when she tries to help Ben by suggesting different ways to attract a female audience, but he is dismissive and tells her to leave him alone, showing how she faces different challenges and people overlook her. Another scene where we can see her entering a meeting room, and everyone stops to stare at her, and we can see that she is the only woman in the place. Later on in the scene, she is asked to talk, but she is too afraid to speak up and give her opinions on certain matters. However, later on in the movie, where we can see the growth she’s had, is when she decides to publish the Pentagon Papers, even though it was illegal and people opposed it. This highlights how she went from being scared of speaking up to being strong and doing what she believed was best for the people.

    3.The movie is relevant and timely because social media has become a huge part of most people’s lives, and it is known to twist the truth in favor of one side. This is similar to the movie, where President Nixon twisted what was happening during the war to make it seem like they were close to the end and winning. He controlled the press to ensure they couldn’t release anything that put him in a bad light, similar to how celebrities sometimes pay people not to post certain stories on social media about them. There is also a credibility gap, both in the movie and in real life, as tons of fake news is published to keep a company afloat or to earn more money, since shocking news attracts more attention.
    Freedom of the press is important because it gives people the opportunity to get accurate information that hasn’t been changed or manipulated. Having the right to freely report on current events prevents things from being sugarcoated or hidden from the public, and it can even lead to a better understanding of important issues. I also think that without a free press, the information published is always going to be biased toward one side, which portrays certain people or events in a more positive way and eventually shapes public opinion in favor of one side.
39. Ella K June 3, 2024 at 4:30 pm

    I would argue that life has almost completely changed since the 1970s. Everyone growing up during the current day is experiencing the world completely differently than children during this time period. From fashion trends to politics, everyday components of life during the 70s are missing for us. Arguably the largest change is the advances in technology, people in our time have access to so much more information compared to even just a few years ago, let alone fifty years ago. In the seventies technology in the workplace, as seen in the film, was limited to typewriters and telephones, and now almost every person has a personal smartphone they can carry with them at all times, and some people even have separate work phones, in addition to computers that stay at the office (or home) or can travel, like laptops or iPads. The difference in technology has completely changed the workforce. In the movie the characters often have phone calls to communicate with each other, but now we often skip conversations in favor of emails or texting. I think the film glorifies the way that newspapers spread information for a long period of time. Now most people get their news online, from online newspapers, social media, or news channels. Physical newspapers have stopped being used due to the easier accessibility that technology has provided.
    Throughout the film Katherine’s confidence in taking command in her position grows. At the beginning of the film, Katherine often asks other people for advice on how to handle situations, but when she is faced with whether or not the Washington Post should publish information from the Pentagon Papers she makes a decision they should publish them. Despite others trying to persuade her against this decision, she sticks with her belief and believes that the American public has a right to know about the information regarding the Vietnam War.
    This film’s themes of freedom of the press could be seen as relevant today since freedom of the press is an important right for Americans, it keeps Americans protected to share and publish their opinions, and without it the media would be very one-sided and have a lack of different views on issues. We can see many examples of fake news in our day to day lives since many people rely on social media as a source of receiving news. This can often spread misinformation as not all people posting are reliable sources and often just want to inform you on part of a story to sway people to support their beliefs.
    Although all people should be allowed to report with their opinions, with news stories the importance of a source with no bias is important so people can receive information and then make their own decisions based on what they have read. Work published by people close to politicians is often likely to be biased toward the side of the politician in order to benefit them and spread their beliefs making them more popular.
40. Kabir Kapur June 3, 2024 at 4:48 pm

    Life has changed greatly since the time frame of 1971, Clearly, we see these changes everyday. For example, pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, and clothes have all been replaced by newer models of the same things. Some examples are digital phones, smart televisions, social media, as well as new types of clothes and fashion styles. This movie is glorifying an age of crusading newspapers that may never come back because it shows everything in the media as “simpler” back then, which may appeal more to some people than the current outlook on media. Some people might look back at this movie and think that everything was much better back then, which is normal for us to think. However, journalism’s foundations have stayed the same for the most part throughout the years and journalism has gotten more advanced as the years have gone on.
    The film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players in many ways. For example, first off we see her in this role in a board meeting where the men completely overpower her ideas. Her ideas were disrupted by male members of the company as well many times. Her decision, in the movie, to publish the Pentagon Papers eventually earns her respect and shows her growth from a socialite publisher to a powerful player herself. At the end of the movie, we see that Katherine Graham is much more confident with her words and is more of a leader by this point in time.
    With recent events surrounding the media and other issues, I see that this film is relevant and very timely. “The Post” illustrates that we are still fighting for a country with full freedom of press. With viewers seeing this battle, they can realize that this is similar to many stories today surrounding the press and media. For example, Trump has called news “fake news” before which takes away the credit from journalists and essentially labels them as frauds. Freedom of the press is extremely important, especially today. Freedom of press can expose wrong-doings in the government, help our society be a democracy, check the power of the government, and provide the citizens of the United States with the information that they need to know. Without freedom of press, we would be living in a dictatorship not knowing what is really going on behind the scenes.
41. Lana O June 3, 2024 at 5:41 pm

    Much has changed since the 1970’s and some of that includes many inventions being replaced or improved throughout the years. For example pay phones soon were replaced with landline phones and then replaced by portable cellular phones. Other inventions got improvements. The television used to be small, bulky, and could only produce black and white screenings. But throughout the years it got improvements added to it. Now modern televisions have color screenings and are flat and thinner than before. With clothing we saw a big change from formal looks being the usual out in public or in an office setting, but now we can see how more casual and comfort has become a priority out in public. It does glorify this age because it shows the audience how this time of technology and fashion isn’t going to return because of how society has advanced. It kinda romanticizes this era by using irrelevant characteristics of it like the clothing and the classic sets of the stereotypical office feel.

    This film portrays Katherine Graham as a lone woman because at the beginning of the movie she doesn’t have any power over her co-workers or past knowledge that can help her when beginning her job. We see her start to grab attention when in the office she’s working at her desk and everyone comes to corral around her to see what’s going on. When before they would ignore and talk over her to not listen to her and her ideas. She is very resilient because she tries her best to put in effort to get work done and for her voice to finally be heard by others. She is always surrounded by her work in hopes to get things done efficiently. As she tries to create a seat at the table for herself in this news world that is dominated by men. She fully puts herself in whatever story she has at the time, dedicating her efforts to it in hopes to show her hardworking skills to others to try and prove herself. When she decides to post the pentagon papers she is faced with pressure and advice from others but decides to do what she thought was best. With all the risks and efforts she takes, they pay off in the end. She gains the respect from her associates but also for women everywhere in business and other jobs. Showing her impact benefitted many to open their eyes and see the differences people could make if they had more opportunities to do so.

    This film does a great job at being relevant and timely because it shows the importance of freedom of press and illuminates the issues with fake news and how it should be tolerated. In current times it is super easy to receive and give information. There are countless sources and platforms that many can voice their opinions on and give “accurate” information that people should use and apply to their thinking. It is also very easy now for things to go viral and get passed around the internet super quickly. Making fake news more accessible than ever. Which is why the concept of freedom of press is also changing with how people voice their opinions online because the biggest problem with more online information is that it can not always be confirmed or accredited appropriately so there is no filter to sort real and fake information and news. It becomes increasingly difficult to find information you want to use because of the vast majority and quality of information that is out there. Freedom of press should include online information but it should also try better on making restrictions or regulations on information that can be posted. Freedom of the press allows many people to speak out and newspapers to function to post and give information to the general public.
42. Maddie Z June 3, 2024 at 6:35 pm

    A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?
    The movie The Post is very accurate in the way it depicts the time period of the early 70s through the use of the movie’s sets and props throughout. The main difference I felt through the plot of the movie compared to our time was the communication speed. Many of the more tense scenes where the characters were debating whether to publish the papers or not would have gone differently if there was modern technology involved. If the paper was not actually printed, but instead released on a large news or social media app, the debate in the movie of whether to call off the print or not after Graham had okayed it would not have happened. I wouldn’t say the movie is glorifying the age of ‘crusading newspapers’ but more of a piece showcasing the time period and the form of press at the time.
    Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.
    Katherine Graham is a character that started out seeming a little unsure of herself in her power running the paper. A scene towards the end involving a character (I can’t remember his name) and his wife where his wife discussed the effect that being surrounded by men who think lower of you and look down on you has on a person. During this monologue I thought about the imposter syndrome Graham would be going through. It’s clear when she has the final say over the decision to publish the paper or not with every time she asks for an opinion on the situation and how obviously uncomfortable she is. She feels like she is not qualified to be making as grand of a decision as this and hesitates before finding herself and choosing to publish it. Later when she is being urged to pull the paper from production, once confirming they could defend against any charges, she confirms she runs the paper and her everyone who works there needs to follow her word.
    The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?
    This movie felt very akin to our current time period with misinformation on social media running rampant and censorship becoming a large debate. I feel it is relevant because there have been ideas of ways of limiting misinformation online and these ideas have sparked conversation over whether these limitations are a violation of the freedom of press and speech. The issues arise from how the information would be determined to be misinformation and whether biases may get in the way. I believe the movie sums up these ideas perfectly by mentioning that the press is there for the general public and not to be controlled by anyone in charge.
43. Ari Blank June 3, 2024 at 7:43 pm

    1. Technology has made it a long way since 1971. In 1971, the phones were pay phones attached to the wall with a cord, and you had to spin a wheel to punch in the number you wanted to call in some cases. Today, we almost always have a smartphone in our pockets at all times, and it is easier than ever to call or contact someone. The newsroom in the movie was also full of typewriters, which were extremely simplistic. Each letter was typed onto individual sheets of paper, and hopefully, there were no mistakes. The typewriter has advanced significantly into the computer. It is hard to even compare the computer to the typewriter because the computer is so advanced and the typewriter is so simple. The black and white television has also advanced significantly into the 4k color televisions of today. Today, you can watch pretty much anything you want on your TV, when back in 1971, there were just a few options. This movie glorifies the time of the newspaper. With the evolution of technology, the newspaper has lost its control. Today, we usually get our news from online articles instead of daily newspapers. Newspapers have had trouble making money today, even though some of them have an online paid subscription. It is unfortunate that this time will likely never return; however, this new age of news benefits the consumer better than the newspaper age.

    2. At the start of the film, Katherine doesn’t seem like she belongs at the table with a bunch of male board members. Katherine was just filling in for her late husband on the board. She doesn’t seem confident in her decisions at the beginning of the movie, but as she moves on in the movie, she gains more respect and confidence. The moment she gained the respect of the male board members was when she approved the publication of the Pentagon Papers. This was a risky move, but luckily for her, it paid off in a big way.

    3. I think this film shows a very timely issue of fake news today. The freedom of the press must be preserved. However, with all of the fake news floating around on the internet, it can be hard for the average person to decipher what is real and what is not. This film shows how newspapers had to stand up for their right to publish sensitive information. The situation was complicated, though, because secretive documents were published for the whole public to see. This publication was necessary to show Americans the truth and that they were continually lied to by the government about the war in Vietnam. It was a big step when the Pentagon Papers were published because it allowed the American public to trust the newspapers more than their government. The government had to stop displaying fake news to the public so they wouldn’t get exposed by the papers again.
44. Aaron H June 3, 2024 at 7:55 pm

    1. Life has changed significantly since then, in regards to society as a whole. Pay phones have advanced to home phones to flip phones to smartphones. As time goes on, things that were once the greatest advancements of their time are then advanced again, turned into something more. Another advancement is the news industry, while newspapers faded out other forms sprung in. The radio, television, websites, apps, they’re all places where news can be found today. They are faster to be released, more accessible, and able to be more easily fact checked. Now, I partially believe that the movie is glorifying a time which will never return. I only partially believe this because they are portraying a ‘for the people’ narrative. Very hero-like, and not completely realistic. Still, it is based on a true story, and thus cannot fully be glorifying that time as it did not end with completely fantastic results.

    2. At the beginning of the movie, Katherine Graham is portrayed as a very nervous, disrespected, and overshadowed woman despite her high position. She doesn’t stand up for herself, and allows others to walk over her and criticize her very existence. An example of this is Arthur stating how, of course, buyers would be skittish when a female is leading, referring to Ms. Graham herself. As the NYT was in the middle of their court case, she refused to get involved as she was terrified to lose the paper. But by the end of the movie, she is confident in her position, her opinions, and herself. She then claims that they are a company, a newspaper, for the nation. She finally stands up for herself and decides that this is entirely her decision to make, and is willing to voice her opinion on the company, as it is hers. It’s no longer her fathers, no longer her husbands, but hers. The angles at which she is shown now are empowering, and signifying that she has power other than her previous angles at which she was depicted as small, and unsure of her right to lead.

    3. I do see this film as partially relevant today, not exactly timely, but, yes, relevant. With the spread of ‘fake news’, the definition of which has changed over time, it has become harder to figure out what is real and what isn’t. Now, back then, this was a huge problem as there were only a few news sources out then. This is why freedom of the press was so important as people weren’t able to truly get information on their own, they required higher sources to get the information to them. Still, today, freedom of the press is still important as it allows for communication through the media. It allows for media to circulate, even if said media isn’t entirely true. But that’s why we have so many sources out there, so many means of information for each individual to decide what they believe to be factual.
45. Delilah June 3, 2024 at 7:55 pm

    1. There are many differences from life today compared to the 1970’s. Things like payphones, newspapers, and teletype machines were commonplace then, but seen as out of place now. Things like newspapers are still commonly used, but are slowly being taken over by online newspapers and blogs. Black and white TV’s have been transformed into color ones since the intention of them. There are also many changes within things like fashion and aesthetics. Womens fashion today seems to be more relaxed and chill, but in the 70s, women were usually expected to dress up a little more on a day to day basis, and the same goes for men. Aesthetically, in the 70s, many makeup and hair trends were different, people were walking around wearing a shag or a mullet. With all of this being said, I don’t believe that “The Post” glorifies this age at all, they seem to be more focused on telling it as a story.

    2. In the beginning of the movie, Katherine Graham seems to be forced into this leadership role. She is stepping into the role of her late husband at the Washington Post and is surrounded by male executives and coworkers. Her opinion seems to be shadowed over by all of the men around her, even though she is in equal or higher positions than many of them. Her vulnerability seems to take a turn however, near the end of the movie, when she decides to publish the Pentagon Papers. She is surrounded by pressure to not publish them, stating that the backlash they will receive will be too harsh, yet she does it anyway. She truely steps into her role at this point in the film, and we see her confidence grow.

    3. This film still proves to be relevant today because of how many different sources of information we can access in just a click. There are so many social media platforms with so many people on them, each with their own unique opinions, and when you aren’t careful, it can be very difficult to decipher those opinions from facts, or what is actually happening. Freedom of press allows people to learn about current events hopefully without bias, which is something that is very necessary in being a functioning member of society. Freedom of the press is important, and needs to be protected because it allows everyone to hear and learn about the objective truth without anyone getting silenced.
46. Helena Zweig June 3, 2024 at 8:13 pm

    A lot of the movie tries to be faithful to the 1971 time frame – pay phones, newspapers, teletype, black and white TVs, the clothes, etc. How has life changed since then, and is this movie glorifying an age (the age of crusading newspapers) that may never come back? Why or why not?

    Life has changed a lot since then, especially through the newspaper business. With the advent of online publication, news stories can be updated in seconds and reports can be sent to the public without deadlines or the setbacks of print media. Throughout the movie, the press is portrayed as the freedom fighters, necessary to democracy and crucial to the public. Certainly, with an age of technology, the suspense of breaking news scandals have the potential to be instantly reported, edited, and retracted simply because the medium has changed. Additionally, citizens can post their own opinions and add information as “fact”, allowing regular people to become reporters of news that could be truthful or not. This era of newspapers as a holy grail has left us, but a new century can rise with everyone contributing to a stronger democracy by sharing all they know to inform others.

    Examine how the film portrayed Katherine Graham as the lone woman in a sea of powerful male players – lawyers, bankers, etc. Provide specifics from the film as it shows her growth from socialite publisher to powerful player.

    In the beginning, it is evident there is a power struggle, but I found it most prevalent when there was a board meeting, and not only could Graham not voice her opinion, but when she did give information (such as how many salaried workers could be paid with a monetary number), it was brushed off in favor of a man’s response, which happen to be the same response she had given as an answer. After some character growth and soul-searching (plus, talking with her daughter), she finds the courage to declare that the company is not her father’s or her husband’s anymore, but her’s. By the end, the company is under her control and she makes decisions based on her judgment, as it always should have been. Her decisions were previously discussed as the product of other opinions, not her own, but Mrs. Bradlee comments that she is brave to gamble on the company that has been her life thus far, which is the turning point for Ben’s own perspective, and the point in the movie where Graham comes into her own and truly becomes that role.

    The film’s reviews – many have made the case that this film is timely and completely relevant to today. Freedom of the press is something that must be fought for, again and again. You could see that Nixon had tried to muzzle the press with the injunctions against the Times and the Post, but the Supreme Court had rescued the press w/ its 6-3 decision in U.S. v. New York Times. With what’s going on w/ the media (“fake news”) and other issues, how do you see this film as relevant and timely? And why is freedom of the press so important?

    The film is very relevant and timely because time and time again, the media is being accused of spreading false narratives, and it’s getting harder for people to spot real news from its fake counterpart. Any site now can claim credibility, and unless a person truly looks into the company’s code of ethics/standards, sites that look professional can be treated as trustworthy even if they aren’t.
    Freedom of the press is so important because a republic needs it. If a government controls and filters everything that is relayed to the masses, the news being given is a byproduct of what officials want you to hear, not what you might need to know. In order to keep a population knowledgeable about the world around them, giving resources that share a multitude of opinions, letting the viewer decide on their perspective, allows for freedom of choice to reign and personal opinions to form that aren’t necessarily aligned with higher powers.
47. Robert Nelson June 3, 2024 at 8:52 pm

    Newspapers will never be that popular anymore, because of the Technological Revolution that happened a few decades ago. Never again will we see people scrambling to get the latest newspaper in order to find desired information about a spectacular plot, because as soon as that happens, there will always be online newspapers which come instantly. I would say that this movie sort of does glorify the newspaper age because it brings a new perspective of newspaper clashes between two prominent companies. You wouldn’t have thought there was that much tension between the Post and the New York Times if you were not an insider in the matter. If I was living in that time I could understand the frustration of the Post for not having the Pentagon papers like New York Times did because if I was a customer wanting to know the best, relevant, and most astonishing news then I would be buying from the Times. Other things that come to mind right away that have changed since 1971 are obviously phones and computers which have revolutionized basically everything, cameras, and equality for more people.
    I wasn’t here for the rest of the film which we watched on Monday but from what I could tell, Katherine was always silently outthinking the other men. There was one scene at a meeting where the men were doing some math problems and while they were calculating she was saying the correct answer under her breath. She seems very witty and I think the company would have a lot less problems if they didn’t dismiss her ideas so easily.
    Freedom of press is important because when you try to deny this right or freedom of speech, then you start to have problems with the public like when John Adams passed the Alien and Sedition acts, which led to nullification ideas by Thomas Jefferson. If freedom of press was denied, that would mean things like the Pentagon Papers may never have been revealed, and who knows what else we would not know about the horrible mistakes of the government today. Overall, choosing what gets out to the public is a system of corruption because then the government gets to be an overseer of anything the public thinks. This film could be relevant to today because I guess there are some politicians out there that want to limit freedom of speech because of the fake news brought about by social media, but ultimately we cannot allow those limitations or else it would be unconstitutional.
48. Isabella Franco June 3, 2024 at 9:20 pm

    Since the 1970’s, communication and technology mediums have completely changed. Most relevant to the movie is the newspaper. Most people today get their information from websites, social media, or other news apps, and it is very uncommon to see people reading newspapers today. Other changes from the 1970’s to today include the fashion, introduction of cell phones, and color TVs. This movie definitely glorifies a time that will never come back. The 1970’s is an era that will never be replicated in the future due to the technology we have today, which has sped up our world. Social media has also created many new conflicts and issues that we cannot even begin to solve.

    At the beginning of the film, Katherine Graham is portrayed as reluctant to stand up for herself in her male-dominated field. Despite her being the “lone woman” at her job, we can see her commitment to it when she awakes one night surrounded by newspapers and other work. Even though she is a committed employee, her male coworkers underestimate her and believe that she cannot handle the stress and weight of this job. A lot of attention is placed on her mainly because of the fact that she is the only woman in the position. Change occurs when Graham is given the opportunity to publish the Pentagon Papers. Despite her coworkers discouraging the idea, she publishes them anyway, which ultimately helps her gain respect from her coworkers.

    This film is extremely timely with the increase of fake news sources and posts that can be found on social media. As I mentioned in the first question, most people today get their news from social media and other unreliable sources, and because many people are gullible, this news gets spread. The spread of fake news online has led many people to question whether people should be allowed to post news online. While the truth is important, not allowing people to post things on social media is technically a violation of freedom of speech. Freedom of speech/press is extremely important as it is our right as US citizens. Since people are able to easily post whatever they want, it is very important that people maintain their digital literacy when it comes to taking in media. Social media does allow people to share useful information to many people, however, keeping it a tool will mean that we have to know how to tell real information from false.
49. Vidushani Hettiarachchi June 3, 2024 at 9:43 pm

    1. Since 1971, life has changed exceedingly not only with technology but our culture as a whole. As some of these are still used to this day, other items have been greatly advancing, for example, black and white TVs. In this century, we typically own TVs with color and not only do they have color but much better quality than what we had in the 70s. As well as pay phones, they weren’t even used as much back then because now, everyone owns a smartphone. Teletypes are rarely seen being used in this century and are now usually held as a symbol from the 1970s instead of utilized. Although, newspapers are still brought upon and used extensively and many people read them in their spare time. I feel as though the movie is glorifying and bringing attention to this age that will never come back. America has changed greatly to even think that we could have the sense of unity we had back then compared to this generation. Everything is profoundly more technologically advanced and developed.
    2. As women in the workforce started to become more prominent, their pay was still lower than what men were paid. The lack of respect towards women in the workforce was also common which was seen when Katherine Graham was referred to as K because men judged her too quickly. Not only that but in the movie she was the only woman in the group of men at the meeting who had no respect for her whatsoever. They interrupted her and saw her as less superior to them. Katherine Graham working in a predominantly male job didn’t help with the amount of sexist threats she was receiving. Near the end of the movie, she makes her way up the social class and ends up being the only woman let into the stock exchange building. This shows her significant growth from a socialite publisher to a powerful player because of Graham’s ethics.
    3. Freedom of the press is just as important as freedom of speech. This film is perceived as relevant and timely because even though the 1970s was the age of crusading newspapers, that doesn’t make the 1st amendment any less important than what it is. There is manipulated information and many other forms of media to spread “fake news” out in the world. As the world keeps changing, it will be harder to know what’s true and what’s not and that’s why it’s important to hear from many perspectives. Freedom of the press allows people to get their voice heard in the world and with all the changing media, it will be easier to have more views on a topic.
50. ian whan June 3, 2024 at 9:55 pm

    The movie tries to stay true to its 1971 setting by putting in details like pay phones, newspapers, teletype machines, and specific clothing. Life has changed significantly since then. Today, we have smartphones, the internet, and social media, which provide instant access to information, so newspapers are no longer the primary source of news, instead, many people get their news online. The movie highlights the important role that journalists played in holding the government accountable during the Vietnam War by publishing the Pentagon Papers. This era is often seen as a golden age for investigative journalism, where newspapers had the power and influence to make a big impact on public opinion and policy. Bit, whether this age can return is iffyy. With digital media, journalism has changed dramatically. Traditional newspapers have struggled to keep influence and financial stability in the digital age. Also, the huge abont of information available online and the presence of fake news make it harder for any single news outlet to have the same impact as newspapers did in the past.

    In the film Katherine Graham is portrayed as the only woman in a sea of powerful men, including lawyers, bankers, and politicians. At the beginning of the film, Katherine, known as Kay, seems unsure of her authority and is often overshadowed by the other male executives around her. One specific scene that illustrates this is when Kay is in a meeting with bankers to discuss the newspaper’s IPO. The men dominate the conversation, often speaking over her and questioning her decisions. She appears nervous and unsure, showing her lack of confidence in a male-dominated environment. Throughout the film, Kay begins to assert herself more in conversations and meetings. She stands against the opinions of her male colleagues, showing her growing confidence and willingness to take risks for what she believes is right. By the end of the film, Katherine Graham has grown significantly, transforming from a socialite into a respected player in the world of journalism.

    The movie The Post has received many reviews saying that it is very timely to today’s world. The movie shows how important freedom of the press is and why it must be defended repeatedly. In the film, President Nixon tried to silence the press with injunctions against The New York Times and The Washington Post to prevent them from publishing the Pentagon Papers. However, the Supreme Court supported the press in a 6-3 decision in the case of U.S. v. New York Times. Today, we hear a lot about “fake news” and other challenges. The Post is relevant now because it reminds us of the role a free press plays in a democracy. Freedom of the press is crucial because it allows journalists to report the truth, even when it is inconvenient or embarrassing for those in power. It helps keep the government transparent and accountable, ensuring that the public stays informed about important issues.