JOUR 420: B#1

A Voice for Media, and the Golden Message to the People

I must admit, I am not usually one to watch Hollywood award shows. On January 8, 2016, Hollywood celebrated and recognized talent with one of the biggest award shows in the industry, the 74th Annual Golden Globes Awards. On that same day, I actually watched the entire award show...which is actually the first time that I have ever finished watching any award show.

As the show went on, I found myself bored most of the time, and constantly asking myself questions such as: How many awards is La La Land gonna get? What is this movie or film that I have never heard of in my life? Who is this actor/actress that I have never seen in my life? Was that a joke and was it supposed to be funny? Do 90% of Hollywood actors have British accents? How do people watch these things? When is this going to be over with already?

Most of the movies or shows that were nominated for awards I had never heard of. Therefore, this award show didn't matter much to me...that was until actress Viola Davis began to introduce Meryl Streep as the recipient of the Golden Globes Lifetime Achievement Award. 

The first thing that grabbed my attention were the two actresses themselves, as Davis and Streep are very recognizable and strong acting figures. After a very passionate and heartfelt introduction speech by Davis, Streep took the stage, and had a message that many may have not seen coming.

More than halfway through her almost seven minute speech, Streep had a political message to the American people, to Hollywood, and for journalists. She didn't have to say any names. Everyone in America knew exactly who she was talking about: President-elect, Donald Trump.

She told the story on how he mocked a disabled New York Times reporter, an incident that many Americans are familiar with, followed with a message and a call to protect journalists, their rights, and their voice for others.

"We need the principle press, to call them on account...that's why our founders enshrined the press and its freedoms in our Constitution. So I only ask the famously well-healed Hollywood Foreign Press, and all of us in our community to join me in supporting the committee to protect journalists, because we're going to need them going forward, and they'll need us to safeguard the truth," Streep said. 

As a journalist, this message meant so much to me, and many other journalists as well. I don't look at her message as an attack on Trump or Republicans, but rather someone who simply believes in what's right versus what's wrong, and wants to protect journalists and the press as a whole. That is a big deal. More than ever, it seems as if the media has been given a bad name and reputation, and in many ways, have been looked at as the ones who want to ruin reputations with lies and false stories. The recent election and responses from Trump have only worsened this situation.

The misconception that all media is "crooked or corrupt" could not be further away from the truth. The platform of journalism should give people the right to tell real-life stories: The truth, un-biased, reporting the news, in order to inform the American people and to serve as their voice.

There may be some journalists right now who are afraid to do that, especially after this election, because they know that they may very well be attacked by others who believe that they are attacking a political party or candidate out of bias. I am grateful that someone who is well-known and respected such as Meryl Streep, felt obligated to protect journalists, and serve as a voice for them during these controversial times in America.