Cronkite Professor to Share Experience as Consultant for Spielberg’s ‘The Post’ at Advanced Screening of Film

Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is hosting a free screening of Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film about the Pentagon Papers, followed by a conversation with a Cronkite professor who was a reporter for the Washington Post when the Pentagon Papers were leaked and worked as a consultant on the movie.The screening  will be held at the AMC Classic Arizona Center 24 in downtown Phoenix on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m., with an introduction to the film at 6:45 p.m. by Leonard Downie Jr., the former executive editor and vice president of The Washington Post who serves as the Weil Family Professor of Journalism at the Cronkite School. Downie also will lead a conversation after the film, where he will discuss his work as a consultant on the film and his experience working at The Washington Post.Downie, who worked as a reporter and editor at the newspaper when thousands of pages of classified government documents detailing the Vietnam War were leaked to the media, said the film emphasizes the importance of the role of the press in relation to the government in times of crisis.The U.S. government challenged the media’s rights to report on classified information contained within the Pentagon Papers, resulting in a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in favor of the media’s First Amendment rights.“The Post” follows the battle between journalists and government from the perspective of The Washington Post newsroom. The film was produced and directed by Spielberg and stars Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks.Streep portrays Katharine Graham, the first female newspaper publisher in the United States, and Hanks plays The Washington Post’s Executive Editor Ben Bradlee. The movie received six Golden Globe Award nominations and was declared the best film of 2017 by the National Board of Review.“It was exciting to play a small part in assisting a director, screenwriters, cast and crew so committed to an authentic, yet very dramatic depiction of the important role of the press in holding government accountable in our democracy,” Downie said. “It was rewarding to watch the portrayal of Katharine Graham, who I came to know well, as an evolving leader who helped shape the future of American journalism and the role of women in business.”Downie worked as a consultant alongside former Post colleagues R.B. Brenner and Steve Coll, who helped the film maintain historical accuracy on everything from professional terminology to newsroom aesthetics. “They wanted to be very accurate,” Downie Said. “We watched the filming on monitors, and if we had concerns, we raised those questions.”The involvement of Downie on the film was the result of a recommendation by Walter V. Robinson, the Cronkite School’s Donald W. Reynolds Visiting Professor. Robinson led the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning report on the Roman Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal that was made into the Academy-award winning film “Spotlight.” Robinson was a consultant on the film, and referred Downie to Josh Singer, who co-wrote both “Spotlight” and “The Post.”Downie began his career at The Washington Post as an intern in 1964, and went on to work as an investigative reporter, editor, London correspondent, managing editor and executive editor. During his 17 years as executive editor, The Washington Post won 25 Pulitzer prizes.Seating for the screening is limited to Cronkite students, faculty and staff, and is made available on a first served basis. Anyone interested in attending must RSVP on Eventbrite. “The Post” received a limited release on Dec. 22 and will be in theaters nationwide beginning Jan. 12.