Page One: Inside the New York Times (2011)

A scene from Andrew Rossi's enthralling documentary
"Page One: Inside the New York Times."

We learn early on that the title refers to the Page One meeting, a morning ritual in which the editors of each section meet with the executive editors to carefully consider what stories will be on the front page the next day. For reporters and columnists, getting your byline on the coveted front page is a big deal just about anywhere, but perhaps nowhere is it a bigger deal than at the New York Times.

Watching the nostalgic first few frames of “Page One: Inside the New York Times”—dozens of hard copy editions roll out from printing presses and delivery trucks carry them away—offers a quixotic glimpse of a romantic, ink-stained past. Indeed, with more and more of the masses shifting to the Internet, dwindling circulation and plummeting advertising revenues forcing some newspapers into bankruptcy, the reality is starkly different. The movie poses a dark question—will the Times eventually go out of business?

The answer and the paradigm shift of traditional media into the digital age is comprehensively contained in this revealing, enthralling and masterful documentary directed, co-written and photographed by Andrew Rossi, whose largely unfettered access to the Times leads to a smart and sometimes very funny behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the venerable newspaper.

Several writers are prominently featured, including the late David Carr, the acerbic and charismatic old-school reporter who joins Twitter during the movie and explores the ways in which social media has changed the information landscape; Brian Stelter represents the new breed, an online whiz-kid whose digital savvy helped transform the young upstart from anonymous blogger to hotshot Times reporter; and Bruce Headlam, whose movie star good looks contradict his status as the pragmatic and harried media desk editor.

Among its many fascinating topics, the film explores the controversy surrounding WikiLeaks and founder Julian Assange; argues whether newspapers are still relevant in an age of ‘citizen journalists,’ when anyone with a camera phone can shoot shaky, hand-held footage and post the blurry results to sites like YouTube; and, by examining both Judith Miller’s dubious reporting for the Times in the early stages of the Iraq war as well as the plagiarism scandal of Jayson Blair, it even turns a fair-minded, critical eye on the paper itself.

As soon as “Page One: Inside the New York Times” was over, I wanted nothing more than to open up the laptop and search for some of the stories that were featured. Some of them I had already read—like Carr's sweeping expose on the crass, reckless new management at Tribune Company lining their pockets with big bonuses while losing millions, destroying careers and running a once proud business into the ground—but would joyously re-read nonetheless, like a favorite book.

Some movies are great because they inspire you to think. This one inspires you to want to read a newspaper.