Shock and Awe Reflection

     How far are you willing to go for the truth? This question personifies Rob Reiner's 2017 film "Shock and Awe," where 4 reporters (Woody Harrelson, James Marsden, Reiner, Tommy Lee Jones) look to uncover what really happened with 9/11. 

    This story can be seen as especially harrowing for journalism as a whole, as the general malpractice around the country in the leadup to the Iraq war is infamous. 

    It follows the reporters at Knight Ridder, who's reporters at their Washington, DC bureau were some of the first to uncover what really went on within the Middle East, in the period after 9/11 and before the Iraq War.

    This came at a time where having the media in your pocket (especially as a politician), was as important as ever. This allowed President Bush to use support from the media in order to really ramp up talks of a war in Iraq, and while this was backed by other groups, Knight Ridder got to the bottom of it.

    The way the Knight Ridder reporters operate (at least in the film), is gutsy, secretive, and from what we can tell, not well liked by the government. This is not rare, however, as the media and government always have clashed during times of turmoil, usually over ethics.

    It starts with the government having sensitive or private information, and their race to keep it from the press, where it could have varying effects if it comes out. It's a fight between the media's job of being a public service to inform the public, and the government's job of keeping the public out of hysteria, and calm in times of war.

    The difference between the Knight Ridder journalists and other journalists boils down to one thing... compliance. While other journalists sat back and believed what the government told them, our heroic writers at Knight Ridder stood for what was right, and defied what the government told them, and in return, they were some of the only sources correct about Iraq.

    The Knight Ridder Journalists should be seen as the heroes of this story due to their sheer determination and drive to do what's right. 

    As for Parallels between the events depicted in the movie and today, there are a lot of similarities between our entry in Iraq, compared to our current illegal invasion of Iran. Both started due to misguided fear of weapons of mass destruction, despite limited proof that these weapons actually existed.

Overall, I think there is a lot that can be taken from the events that are depicted in the movie, especially as it compares to our country's current situation.