The Big Picture

• Scoop highlights the crucial role of a producer in securing exclusive interviews, shifting the focus away from journalists in journalism films.
• Billie Piper's character in Scoop shows the courage and determination required in the media landscape to connect with crucial sources.
• By shedding light on the often overlooked profession in newsrooms, Scoop opens the door for more films to explore untold perspectives.

Journalism films have the power to inform audiences about this important profession and what it seeks to uphold: the truth. From the Oscar-winning Spotlight to the Me Too-focused She Said, stories about investigative journalists who spend months on end interviewing sources and fact-checking information before delivering the scoop are often depicted onscreen. Yet, there are only a few titles that actually focus on other professions inside the newsroom that are just as important when it comes to breaking the news. Netflix's Scoop is an example of a film about journalism, without it being just about the journalist. Based on Sam McAlister's book, the drama project pulls the curtain on the infamous Prince Andrew interview for the BBC, in which he addresses his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The film is centered on McAlister herself (played by Billie Piper), a producer who was a key person in securing the interview in the first place.

What Is 'Scoop' About?

Before getting into why Scoop differs from other journalism movies, here is what happens in the Netflix original. The film begins with a photographer snatching a picture of Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell) and Jeffrey Epstein walking in Central Park after the latter was released from prison in 2010. Although the picture did spark an immediate reaction from the public once it circulated in the papers and online, the royals kept the situation "under control" by not bringing it up to news outlets. That is until the Duke of York was mentioned in a court hearing in 2015 and was also accused of abusing one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre. With so much speculation as to why Prince Andrew was close to the financier in the first place, and whether he was guilty of the sexual assault accusation, Sam McAlister approached the royal's press secretary at the time to land an exclusive interview about the matter. Throughout the film, viewers catch an inside glimpse at the negotiations behind the Newsnight conversation, the extensive preparation that it entailed on both sides (the BBC team and Prince Andrew's press team), and its repercussions.

Instead of Focusing on the Journalist, 'Scoop's Protagonist is the Producer Who Secured the Prince Andrew Interview

Although Emily Maitlis (played by Gillian Anderson) is the person who actually interviews the Duke of York in the Newsnight special, Scoop does not make her the protagonist. It is centered on McAlister instead, who thought about the interview in the first place and reached out to the royal's press secretary on multiple occasions to make it happen. From a quick email to grabbing a coffee together, the BBC producer and Amanda Thirsk (Keeley Hawes) had endless conversations about why Prince Andrew needed to speak up about his connection to Epstein and why Newsnight would be the best outlet for him to tell his version of the story. A producer's job is to secure the interview and McAlister needed to be convincing enough to get Thirsk on her side to land this once-in-a-lifetime exclusive. The main character's determination is sprinkled all throughout the film, which isn't very common to see onscreen when it comes to a newsroom producer. With the exception of Frost/Nixon, which hones in on the behind-the-scenes process of David Frost (Michael Sheen) securing the interview with President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) after the latter resigned the post, there haven't been many other films that showed producers in the same light as journalists.

Billie Piper's Character Shows That Other Newsroom Professionals Deserve the Spotlight Onscreen

Piper's character shines a light on an overlooked newsroom profession in journalism films. Although Spotlight and She Said are exceptional in showcasing the hardships of getting people to share their truth on the record, especially when it comes to victims of sexual assault, there is more to journalism than investigative reporting. In Scoop, McAlister has one of the toughest jobs in this media landscape, having to connect with Thirsk and Prince Andrew himself. In the scene in which the BBC team meets with the royals at the palace to finalize the negotiations for the interview, the producer says something that no one in the room has the balls to say. She is blunt with the Duke of York that the internet calls him Randy Andy and other much more hateful nicknames, and that the only way he can change the narrative is if he gives his insights into his long-term friendship with Epstein. The courage she displays in this conversation shows how hard it can be to do this job well, and why the role of a producer is essential in the broadcast world. What Scoop does for a producer should be an open door to more feature films highlighting untold perspectives in the newsroom. Posts like a camera operator or even a newsroom exec can be just as important in a journalism narrative as a reporter is.

Although Scoop does feature a reenactment of the infamous interview and gives Emily Maitlis her flowers when it comes to conducting such a hard conversation, it sets itself apart from other journalism films by highlighting another important news role that is often left on the sidelines in onscreen depictions. As a producer, Sam McAlister went above and beyond to execute her job and it paid off. After the interview came out, Prince Andrew stepped down from his royal duties and paid a settlement to Guffrie (the woman who accused him in the past). If it wasn't for Sam and her determination to secure the interview, there's no way to say that Prince Andrew would've divulged the truth about his friendship with Epstein and the accusation against him to another news outlet. If this Netflix film was able to highlight the role of a producer, there is room for journalism films to do the same for other members of the newsroom in the future.

Scoop is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

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