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George Clooney to Top Notables List Appearing at Reel Journalism Film Series
 Tickets are selling fast for the Reel Journalism film series being held at the Newseum, and cosponsored by the School of Communication. The series will be hosted by veteran journalist Nick Clooney -- author of The Movies that Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen, father of George Clooney, and familiar face on American Movie Classics cable television network.
The elder Clooney was appointed Distinguished Journalist in Residence at the School of Communication and the Newseum earlier this fall and will teach a course based on his book in the spring. His appointment comes as part of a long-term partnership between SOC and the Newseum.
The Reel Journalism series will feature one film per month from December to March at the Newseum’s Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater. Each film screening will be accompanied by a live discussion session with filmmakers, actors, and journalists. Actor and director George Clooney will be among the distinguished guests, discussing his role in the 2005 film Good Night and Good Luck, the story of news icon Edward R. Murrow’s opposition to the radical Senator Joseph McCarthy.
The partnership with the Newseum is an invaluable resource for the School of Communication and American University as a whole. Combining five centuries of news history with exciting exhibits and technology, the Newseum is the world’s most interactive museum and gives visitors a lasting appreciation for the First Amendment and America’s free press. The Newseum is independent from any media companies but receives additional support from foundations, media organizations, and individuals. The Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech, and free spirit, is the main founder of the Newseum’s operations.
Screenings and discussions are scheduled as follows:
Dec. 8, 2008, 7 p.m. — Broadcast News (1987)
Panelists: Susan Zirinsky, SOC/BA ’74, CBS News, executive producer of 48 Hours and adviser for the film; Bob Schieffer, CBS News, moderator of Face the Nation
Summary: Three ambitious reporters discover that the world of television news is more than they bargained for in this quirky romantic comedy starring William Hurt, Albert Brooks, and Holly Hunter, whose character is based on alumna Zirinsky. Panelists will discuss the film’s foreshadowing of the changes occurring in the TV news business today.
Jan. 26, 2009, 7 p.m. — Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
Panelists: George Clooney, actor and director
Summary: Legendary CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow takes on fear mongering Senator Joseph McCarthy against a backdrop of intense political pressure. Academy Award-winning actor George Clooney, who directed, cowrote and starred in the docudrama, discusses his inspiration for bringing the tale of Murrow’s most memorable moment to the silver screen.
Feb. 23, 2009, 7 p.m. — Citizen Kane (1941)
Panelists: Tom Shales, SOC/BA ’67, The Washington Post; Frank Mankiewicz, son of Herman Mankiewicz, cowriter of the film
Summary: Loosely based on the life of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, Orson Welles’s iconic 1941 classic is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post television and film critic Tom Shales and Frank Mankiewicz, son of Herman Mankiewicz, winner of an Academy Award for writing the “Citizen Kane” screenplay, share their thoughts on the film’s enduring legacy.
March 16, 2009, 7 p.m. — All the President’s Men (1976)
Panelists: Bob Woodward, The Washington Post
Summary: Investigating the 1972 Watergate break-in, Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein follow a trail of deception that leads them all the way to the Nixon White House, and ultimately to the resignation of an American president. Nearly 40 years later, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward discusses what it was like to expose government corruption at its highest level and provides his insights into how the reel experience relates to the reality.
Tickets to the four films of the Reel Journalism film series are being sold as a package. $125 per person covers all four films, discussions, and all-day admission to the Newseum during the day of each film. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Newseum admission desk. The series kicks off Monday, December 8 with Broadcast News. For more information, check out the SOC Web site.
- Ken O'Regan '11
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