Aaron Sorkin is a screenwriter, director, producer and a plethora of other things. His works include The West Wing, A Few Good Men, Charlie Wilson’s War, The Social Network and Steve Jobs. He has worked on a lot of project, but one in particular is my personal favorite. The Newsroom was an HBO series that for three seasons inspired me to get into the news industry, which is my goal. The show takes a good look at the behind the scenes of a fictional news show, going through breaking news stories to their personal lives.

Almost everyone has seen a clip from the show. It is a famous clip that has run the gambit of the internet. It is the clip of Jeff Daniels, who plays main character Will McAvoy, and a college student asks him why America is the greatest country in the world. He goes on to have a dramatic and amazing speech about how it isn’t, at least not anymore. He continues saying it could be great again and the speech leave people in an uproar. It is in the first episode and from the jump the series is off. We go through a lot of major events, with the B.P Oil spill, the death of Osama Bin Laden and whole host of other major events being the backdrop for the series.

My favorite part of the show is not the focus on the newsroom, which I do in fact love. It is the characters. Any show worth its salt is made by how compelling the characters are. For a show about such an important topic like a fair and balanced press, you would think some of the characters come off as one dimensional or flat, but not here. Every single character in the show feels just as real as you or me. From Will McAvoy, the anchor of his own program, to the social media editor Neal Sampat. It is one of those shows that if it ran for ten seasons it wouldn’t feel like enough. It only lasted three seasons for 25 episodes and it was a glorious three seasons, but still not enough. I am glad it did last for as long as it did though. I’d rather have three great seasons then just one.

This was the show that made me realize what I wanted to do. I wanted to get in news. I am better at TV then writing, as anyone who reads this can tell, but any in is better then not being involved at all. Seeing the behind the scenes of story ideas, information gathering, and just the general team work really hit home for me. The idea that I could work with others to make a difference in the world. Maybe not the whole wide world, but even making a chance in my immediate world would be worth it. The show inspired me to be where I am now. Working at my college news paper surrounded by others also working in news. I was never one to be inspired much. Not many things inspired passion in my life. Something about this show sparked that fire in me, it makes me extremely appreciative of the creator and actors who helped bring that fire out. I suggest every one who even remotely interested in journalism check the show out. It really gives a good look into telling the facts even in today’s political climate. It also helps that it is a really great show.

While I understand the news and politics are a touchy subject now a days. I still feel this is a program that handles it with class and dignity. No side is really shown as right or wrong. Yes, members of both sides are shown in the wrong at different points, but not as a condemnation of their political party. I really enjoyed this show, I hope more people go back and watch it. It isn’t fairly old, but it is such a good show. I really hope it does inspire someone else to get into a field even if it isn’t journalism.