Page One: Inside the New York Times

Film Review by Nicola Balkind | 09 Nov 2011
Film title: Page One: Inside the New York Times
Director: Andrew Rossi
Starring: David Carr, Julian Assange, Tim Arango
Release date: 14 Nov
Certificate: 15

Page One opens inside the New York Times' mammoth printing press. Alongside it, the stately monolith of its Manhattan headquarters is a statue to the legacy of the iconic daily. In the face of open access to information, new authorial voices online, and a decline in advertising revenue, director Rossi acts as a fly-on-the-wall.

Taking us behind the newsdesk with former crack addict and veteran journalist David Carr during a turbulent year of leaks and corporate takedowns, the film quickly becomes a character piece as Carr traverses the new online territory of journalism.

While early lines are drawn from WikiLeaks to Watergate, every emphasis is on the Times' importance as a news arbiter and gatekeeper of journalistic integrity. Rossi deals a firm hand, but over played points and scattered comparisons make it tough to stick it through to the end. In a culture where information is perceived to be free, we may be closer to learning the cost of losing the New York Times.

Page One: Inside the New York Times is released on DVD 14 Nov by Dogwoof http://pageoneinsidethenewyorktimes.com