Media Studies (Documentaries)

Directed by Harold Boihem.
57 minutes; released 1997.
Splicing thousands of television commercials with thoughtful commentary, this film criticizes late 20th Century American society and consumer culture.

Directed by Fred W. Friendly and Susan Steinberg.
393 minutes; released 1960.
Hosted by Mike Wallace, Walter Cronkite, and Dan Rather, this 4-pack set explores the life and groundbreaking work of Edward R. Murrow, America's most esteemed broadcast journalist.

Directed by Tom Casciato and Kathleen Hughes.
57 minutes; released 1999.
Bill Moyers and key legal and public interest advocates examine how industries with money use their access to the media to overwhelm public debate.

Produced by Z Video Productions.
75 minutes; released 2006.
Speakers from various countries describe how the U.S. media assists in carrying out foreign policy through propaganda and misinformation.

Directed by Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick.
167 minutes; released 1992.
This documentary presents a detailed look at the political beliefs of Noam Chomsky. The directors also raise the meaty and contentious issue of mass-media influence in a democratic society. The centerpiece of the film is a long examination into the history of the New York Times' coverage of Indonesia's atrocity-ridden occupation of East Timor, reportage that was absolutely in lock step with the government's unwillingness to criticize an ally.

Produced by Z Video Productions.
76 minutes; released 2002.
Noam Chomsky discusses the war on terrorism, media disinformation, Mideast politics, and U.S. foreign policy.

Produced by Z Video Productions.
59 minutes; released 2006.
Panelists reveal the various schemes of the mainstream media, including bias, controlled coverage and lack of intelligent reporting.

Produced by People's Video/Audio.
70 minutes; released 1997.
Author, lecturer and professor Michael Parenti discusses the corporate domination of and conservative bias in the news.

Produced by Z Video Productions.
64 minutes; released 2002.
Danny Schechter recounts with humor and style the ins-and-outs of mainstream media organization, culture, and practice, and then discusses possibilities for organizing from within mainstream media.

Directed by Raney Aronson.
257 minutes; released 2007.
This four-part PBS documentary looks at the evolution of American journalism from the mid-1970s to today, with special attention given to the role of a free press in a post-9/11 world.

Directed by Robert Kane Pappas.
103 minutes; released 2003.
Brings together an ex-"60-Minutes" producer, a United States congressman, as well as some of the country's leading intellectual voices on the media to examine the mix of business, politics and ideology that is the modern mainstream media.

Directed by Robert Greenwald.
75 minutes; released 2004.
This documentary reveals the secrets of former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it's like to work for Fox News. Material includes interviews with former FNC employees and the inner-office memos they provided.

Directed by William Greaves.
174 minutes; released 2006.
This fiction/documentary hybrid blurs the line between reality and fiction, yet remains a tightly focused movie about making movies. It includes both the original, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (75 min.; 1968), along with Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 1/2 (99 min.; 2003). Starring Steve Buscemi and William Greaves.

Directed by Steven Greenstreet.
88 minutes; released 2005.
When Michael Moore is invited to speak at a college it creates a firestorm not usually seen in the heart of conservative Mormon country. Protests, anger, and a bribery attempt by a local businessman to stop Moore's appearance punctuate this documentary that cuts to the heart of the rift in the nation.

Directed by Danny Schechter.
98 minutes; released 2004.
Schechter, who has worked as a producer for a number of major broadcast media outlets, examines news coverage of the war in Iraq. Schechter explores how the U.S. military and George W. Bush's advisors "stage managed" the Iraq war in order to win a favorable opinion from the public and keep the media's eyes away from issues and situations they found problematic.

Directed by Michael Samstag.
74 minutes; released 2005.
A look into the history of war correspondents from WWII to present, with a special emphasis on the war in Iraq.

Produced by Z Video Productions.
35 minutes; released 2001.
A talk by Michael Albert. Z Video Productions.