Rachel Green, Michael Scott and Elle Woods. With a cast like that, you already know it’s going to be a solid show.
The Morning Show (2019) is an American TV show produced by Apple TV. The show is set at the UBA network in New York and is centred around the world of journalism. The first episode starts with journalists Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) and Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) getting the news that Kessler was fired on multiple accounts of sexual misconduct. Throughout the show, the topics of sexual assault (specifically the Me Too movement), relationships and betrayal are brought up.
As I was watching the show, I couldn’t turn off the journalist in me. I couldn’t help but think about how that could be me in a few years, working for a big news network. As students, we’re constantly thinking about what the next move is, either in our education or career. The Morning Show, although dramatized (it is a TV show at the end of the day), in my opinion, did a great job of showing what it’s like to be a journalist and work in the field.
Watching The Morning Show, I realized how much work truly goes into journalism. It’s not just about being a good speaker or having a pretty face; you’ve got everything and everyone from production, to broadcast, to editorial working together to produce a news segment. As a j-school student, I know firsthand how many different teams are needed to create a simple broadcast, and seeing that represented on screen makes me look forward to working in the newsroom one day. It also puts into perspective how much work is put in and the difficulties journalists have to go through before they’re able to make a name for themselves in the industry. From having your ideas skipped over to having to put up with rejection, there are more struggles than meets the eye.
Another great thing about this show was the diversity. Although the show is still white-dominated, there are many POC that can be seen. In the second episode, Mindy Kaling makes an appearance! It’s nice to see the advancement in the entertainment and journalism industries. By including more POC, we feel represented and seen, which is a relatively new feeling for many of us.
I think that the entertainment industry needs to put out more shows like this one. There is drama and comedy, but most importantly, there is education and awareness brought up on real-world issues. The Morning Show helps future journalists, like myself, get a grasp of the journalism world a little bit better, and for me, that makes me excited to work and live that life one day.