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TV Journalism in War

John Doe

CATV362 Understanding Telecast Media and Policies

Snr. Instr. Ahmet Goran

Faculty of Communication and Media Studies

Eastern Mediterranean University

April 1, 1897
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HBO has brought us a great film here. Michael Keaton plays CNN producer Bob Weiner

in this exciting tale of drama, war, and the role the media plays in current affairs. The film is

about the events leading up to, and culminating in the 1991 Gulf War. We see the invasion of

Kuwait months before the allied bombing raids, and we end after the first night of bombing...the

movie follows the events of this time period, which include that invasion of Kuwait, the holding

of American and British hostages in Iraq, CNN's rise on the media scene, becoming a very

powerful international news organization thanks to their exclusive reporting from Iraq. Jane Roe

states that “Keaton does a very nice job here, which is what you expect from a great actor like

himself”. (Roe, 2012). Carter, who plays the other CNN producer, is very good as well, this

being the first movie I have seen her in.

John Doe says: “Nice filmmaking here...I'm not sure where it was filmed, but it sure

looked like Baghdad to me...and the casting is very well all around- these guys looked so much

like Shaw, Arnett, and to a lesser degree John Holloman- it was almost eerie.” (Doe, 2002). You

felt like you were right in the room with these guys as they talked to Atlanta over the four wire

radio they had access to (which is what helped them report the story from Iraq when no one else

could.) There are some really good special effects as well, the anti aircraft fire lighting up the sky

was spectacular, and once again- it helped give the feeling that you were right in the thick of

things (IMDb, 2012).

References
Doe, J. (2002). Live from Baghdad. New York: Sage.

IMDb. (2012, 12 12). Retrieved from IMDB.com, Inc.: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319758/

Roe, J. (2012). A Critical Analyses of Live from Baghdad. New Cinema, 47-49.