Antoon - State of Play

The film attempts to demonstrate the relationship between government and the influence the media has on the public's perception of politics. Although the constitution grants the freedom of press, this is often not the case. An example of such is the outlawing of newspapers of television showing coffins during times of war. However, the media also plays a very strong role the public's perception of politics because the it is the only mediator between what happens and what the public hears, so they have the capacity to slant it any way they choose. That's not to say the media is purposefully biased and deceitful, but it is a frightening thought that facts could easily be miscommunicated by the news and very few would ever know. The film shows this throughout, but one of the most important is when the editor tells the reporter that they can't run the story as it is because is may not sell. Although this might be somewhat trivial to the plot, this is the sad nature of how journalism often works. Rather than presenting information as it is, some sources feel the need to cater to people's emotions in order to make a profit.