FREE ESSAY ON THE INSIDER

THE INSIDER

The movie, The Insider, is about Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco executive of one of the
largest tobacco companies in America. He is fired from his job, and is soon contacted by
Lowell Bergman, the producer of 60 minutes. Bergman, played by Al Pacino, asks Wigand,
played by Russell Crowe, to make sense of some papers about fire statistics, which belong
to, tobacco company, Wilson Phillips These papers mysteriously show up on his doorstep.
Wigand lets it drop that he has some "inside" information about Big Tobacco, a group of
the seven biggest tobacco companies. The information pertains to a chemical put into
cigarettes that the CEOs of the "seven dwarfs" are aware are addictive. Big Tobacco has
never lost a personal injuries case because their defense until then has been that they
aren't sure if cigarettes are addictive. Bergman convinces Wigand to tell his compelling
story, and allow it to be circulated throughout the media, by telling Wigand that it is
for the good of the country. Bergman and Wigand grow a bond throughout the movie, but are
showered by disappointment when all the different types of media refuse to air the story
because of the consequences that come along with it. Finally, they get the story into the
newspapers. Based on a true story, The Insider's Bergman and Wigand put their lives,
careers, reputations, and family at risk by standing up against Big Tobacco. 
In this movie, it was apparent that the bottom-line was important when deciding on
whether or not to air the story. But you can't rule out the headline. After all, the
headline effected the bottom-line immensely. It was because the headline was so
dangerous, and controversial that the directors of the network decided they wouldn't
allow the story to be aired. They would have been sued, and would have lost their
reputation as a respectable show, because one of Big Tobacco's defense has been to out
spend their opposition. The money that would have been spent on court cases effects the
network's bottom-line. 
In The Insider the ultimate power of decision appeared to lie, not in the hands of the
producer, but in the hands of the network the show aired on. When the department that
deals with legal actions told the business department of the effects the story will have,
and how the story wasn't worth the consequences, the network demanded that Bergman not
air the story. 
Censorship plays a large part in the story. In the movie, Wigand is put through a
"rehearsal" before the actual show. The most important parts of his "confession" are
censored. He wasn't told about the changes until after the show is aired. Legally, the
network didn't have to tell him, but by giving out a small portion of his story, he was
subjected to ridicule because the show didn't give any of his evidence. He seemed
unsupported with his accusations.
Overall, I felt the film was a fair and balanced representation of how things work, at
least in this situation. On the DVD version of The Insider the real Jeffrey Wigand and
Lowell Bergman are interviewed. In their interview they say that the film is an amazing
representation of what they lived through, and that not only was it accurate, but
incredibly made, as well.
I don't believe this way of doing business will ever change. Why would it? The big
companies will always have the power, if not legally, than forcefully. Throughout the
movie, Wigand and his family are subjected to the fear of finding bullets in their
mailboxes, and threatening notes on their computers, and the worst of all, people, with
guns, walking on their property at night. The smaller people in the world have to fight a
hard and nasty fight to compete. Also, companies have so much more money than
individuals. One person alone could not take on a major tobacco company, and six others
who are supporting your opposition. There is no chance of a win.
Also, in terms of the media's part in this story, the network's directors are the ones
who decide what is aired on their channel. They would not put their lives, along with
everyone else who works for the network, on the line for a major story. As major as a
headline is, it effects the bottom-line, which is too important to overlook. There is
nothing one can do about it. There are many businessmen in the world and none of them are
going to put a good story ahead of their paychecks. At best, they'll sell the story to
someone who is willing to take the risk.