Film History: Network

In Film History class we recently screened a long segment of the Sidney Lumet film Network and discussed it's place in history.  The satire of the film in a sense predicted the future and for your reaction paper you'll need to discuss Howard Beale's rant shown above where he calls out television and in a larger sense media for it's ability to produce propaganda and create the information that becomes seen as the truth in many minds.  Answer the following three questions in a two paged, typed, double spaced reaction paper which is due on Monday May 21:

How did you interpret Howard Beale's rants in the film based on what we know about his character as the film progresses?  Do you think he's gone 'mad' or is speaking his own truth knowingly?  Does it matter?

The film was made at a time when network news was one of the primary places people received information from, this has changed dramatically with the advent of 24 hour cable news, the Internet, smart phones, and blogging.  What was the film's message about the media then and how has it changed for today?

The film shows the network using the 'Ecumenical Liberation Army' terrorist group (based on the Symbionese Liberation Army) for ratings, in your opinion how outlandish is that in today's media world?  Use examples both from the film and modern sources to explain your answer.