Many students enrolled in our BJMC (Mass Communication) program at KCC Institute of Legal and Higher Education express a desire to pursue a profession in digital communication. As students of mass communication, we want you to understand how quickly the media landscape is evolving. And what could be more engaging than seeing films to learn about the ways the field is evolving?
Thus, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top media student films that offer valuable perspectives and lessons to get them ready for the future:
The Social Network (2010)
This biographical drama tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg, his creation of Facebook, and his setup process. David Fincher directed it, while Aaron Sorkin wrote the script.
The film depicts his rift with the original members and the ensuing lawsuits against the business. It received nominations for eight Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Director.
You witness the tale of how one of the most amazing software businesses in the world was founded, but you also witness the damage that ambition can cause to friendships.
Students studying mass communication can take away from this film the following lessons:
- The value of knowing your audience: The film demonstrates how Mark was thoroughly aware of his intended audience’s needs and desires. He started looking for answers to their issues.
- Social media’s power: In addition to hinting at social media’s negative aspects (such as the website Mark created where students assessed how attractive girls were), the film demonstrates how social media was created to facilitate easy connections and relationship building.
- The significance of ethics in the mass media industry: Numerous basic ethical concerns about social media are brought up in this film, such as copyright, privacy, and the dissemination of false information.
Media professionals may learn a lot from Mark’s story on how to develop, promote, and brand new, cutting-edge digital products, making it one of the greatest films available.
Coded Bias 2020
The 2020 documentary Coded Bias explores algorithmic prejudice in facial recognition technology and how it has severely harmed some people’s lives in the real world. This video, which was directed by Shalini Kantayya, primarily addresses the problem of gender and racial bias in technology.
MIT researcher and computer scientist Joy Buolamwini found that most facial recognition algorithms recognized white male faces as better than dark-skinned female faces. This revelation revealed a whole new range of possible risks associated with mass surveillance and racial profiling.
In addition to interviews with victims of this algorithmic prejudice in AI-based facial recognition technology, this documentary includes expert viewpoints and thoughts on the topic. It demonstrates how biases in automated resume and credit card application scanning can result in discrimination against specific groups of people, such as women and people of colour.
It is not surprising that it took home multiple honours, including the Audience Award for Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival. This documentary can teach you the following if you want to pursue a profession in digital communication:
- To be conscious of algorithmic biases: Whether you work in management, digital journalism, or research on any other subject, you must be aware that algorithms occasionally exclude information incorrectly.
- Algorithms influence stakeholder and end-user decisions: It’s critical to evaluate them for biases and maintain openness. Therefore, they must be examined for potential biases by testing them on a variety of datasets, looking for trends, and being open and honest about the findings.
- Be the change agent: If they see algorithmic prejudice in action, digital communication specialists—including tech and media professionals—must push for reforms. Additionally, they must be conscious of the many kinds of prejudices (including unconscious and implicit bias) and make an effort to stay away from them.
Students enrolled in the KCC ILHE BJMC (Mass Communication) program learn to be aware of their language and refrain from using derogatory or discriminatory terms. To be more inclusive, they also learn how to use pictures of a range of people from various backgrounds.
We instruct our students on how to use their knowledge of digital communication to share their stories and elevate the voices of underrepresented groups, as well as to contribute to the fair and equitable operation of digital platforms for all.
The Great Hack (2019)
Have you heard about the issue involving Cambridge Analytica? Millions of Facebook users’ data were being collected and used without their permission. During the 2016 US Presidential Election, it was then utilized to sway voters through political advertisements. That scandal is examined in this documentary.
This film, which was directed by Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, tells the lives of several individuals, including Brittany Kaiser, a whistleblower and former Cambridge Analytica employee, and David Carroll, a professor who is attempting to discover what information Cambridge Analytica has on him.
If communication professionals want to examine the negative aspects of social media and how it might undermine the fragile foundation of our democracy, this is one of the best films available.
The following are some lessons that students studying journalism and mass communication can take away from this documentary:
- Data privacy and security flaws: This documentary demonstrates how simple it is to gather and utilize people’s personal information for manipulative purposes (or other purposes). Media workers need to understand the value of data privacy, the risks associated with data breaches, and how to safeguard both their sources and themselves.
- The impending threat of disinformation, propaganda, and fake news: The Great Hack demonstrates the unethical usage of social media platforms. Students studying mass communication should be able to meet this challenge, recognize these situations, and refute them using accurate and truthful news.
- Data journalism and investigative journalism: This documentary demonstrates the superb effort made by data analysis specialists and investigative journalists to unearth intricate cases and hidden patterns associated with the Cambridge Analytica issue. Students pursuing a BJMC (Mass Communication) will undoubtedly find it inspiring and enjoyable!
Snowden (2016)
Edward Snowden worked for the National Security Agency of the USA (NSA) as a subcontractor and as a former CIA employee. He gained notoriety in 2013 for disclosing secret material to the press. There are all the makings of a thriller in this biographical film, which was written and directed by Oliver Stone and Kieran Fitzgerald.
Snowden chronicles the protagonist’s path from enlistment in the army to his eventual disenchantment with and exposure of America’s surveillance operations. The film also explores Snowden’s emotional and professional repercussions as a result of this significant leak.
The film was an immediate success. It received nearly $51 million in global revenue and received four Academy Award nominations, including:
- Best Picture,
- Best Director,
- Best Adapted Screenplay, and
- Best Supporting Actor for Zachary Quinto.
You should see this film to learn the following if you wish to work as an investigative journalist:
- The significance of safeguarding your sources: Throughout the film, we witness Snowden’s extreme measures to keep his sources safe. He encrypted his messages and used anonymous email addresses. Protecting their sources—including influential people and organizations—should be the top responsibility for aspiring investigative journalists.
- The need for bravery and conviction: Some of the most powerful people have always targeted investigative journalists and whistleblowers. You must realize that your life, property, and freedom may be at jeopardy if you work on a delicate or hazardous subject. Therefore, you should be brave to achieve your goal and have total faith in your job.
- The significance of speaking the truth: There’s a reason why the media is regarded as the fourth pillar of democracy. It assumes the duty of speaking the truth, regardless of how unpopular, inconvenient, or hazardous it may become. Snowden felt the public had a right to know the truth about the US government’s monitoring practices; therefore, he disclosed classified material.
Investigative journalism requires a lot of work. You can wind up putting in a lot of overtime, gathering a lot of data, and speaking with several sources.
The Fifth Estate (2013)
Julian Assange established a website (WikiLeaks) devoted to disclosing secret material before Edward Snowden did. Josh Singer wrote the screenplay, and Bill Condon directed the biographical thriller film.
The film chronicles the rise and fall of WikiLeaks. It discusses everything from the website’s infancy and creation to its part in the 2010 US presidential election. It also demonstrated the deterioration of Assange’s relationship with Domscheit-Berg, the WikiLeaks spokeswoman from 2007 to 2010.
The latter was dissatisfied with the website’s lack of transparency and disliked Assange’s management style. We believe this to be among the top films for media students for the following reasons:
- Find out about the risks and morals of investigative journalism: The Fifth Estate demonstrates that although WikiLeaks is renowned for revealing wrongdoing and corruption in the government, to succeed in the long run, it is essential to be totally open and adhere to the same moral principles.
- Recognize the power of the Internet: This film demonstrates how the introduction of the Internet has altered the way that news is reported and seen. For aspiring media workers, it provides some insightful information.
- How to spread the word and gain followers on social media: We observe how WikiLeaks created a community around its work using social media. If you want to understand how to use social media to share your story and get protection as an investigative journalist, this is a wonderful film to watch.
In conclusion
Books don’t contain everything. You should gather information about your subject (or any topic you are working on) from a variety of sources if you want to pursue a career in digital media. The list goes on, but here are some of the top films for communication professionals. Please get in touch with us if you would like recommendations for additional movies.