‘Page One: Inside The New York Times’ takes a look at the Gray Lady

For journalists, Andrew Rossi’s new documentary about the struggles and inner-workings of The New York Times will serve as an informative window into the prized upper-echelon of the newspaper industry. Then again, journalists with even a passing interest in the viable pulse of their career will know many of these facts and occurrences before watching Page One: Inside The New York Times.

The 92-minute documentary has the difficult task of looking behind the curtain of arguably the most famous and respected newspaper in the world. The problem is that this isn’t Enron or Goldman Sachs or even the U.S. Congress. It’s a newspaper, populated by people who make their living somewhat in the public spotlight. Yes, it humanizes some of the reporters behind the by-lines, but its investigatory fervor is only cursory. Not much is learned, and few bedrock assumptions are shaken up.

Still, a documentary is as engaging as its sources, and this one has some great talking heads. The film purports to look at the newspaper as a whole, but it focuses on the Media Desk, looking at how one editor (Bruce Headlam) and his team of reporters, including the indomitable David Carr, report on the industry that offers them gainful employment.

Carr, who charted his personal struggle with drug addiction in his best-selling memoir, The Night of the Gun, is funny, smart and perpetually interesting. He’s the type of guy who has been there, done that and doesn’t stop speaking his mind, no matter how gruff some of his assertions come across. Watching him eviscerate the higher-ups at Vice.com is as entertaining as any summer blockbuster.

Yet this seasoned reporter is not only talk. He wends his way through important stories, including a behind-the-scenes look at the Tribune company’s bankruptcy filing, and simultaneously stands as a cheerleading stalwart for his chosen profession. His words are cleverly selected and his actions are admirable. Of the many voices in Page One, his comes through the strongest.

There’s also a likability and intensity behind Headlam’s work as the editor of the Media section. He tracks the progress of his reporters, and vouches for their work at editorial meetings where editors Bill Keller and Jill Abramson decide what makes the coveted spots on the front page.

All of this is interesting fodder, and Rossi blends together many storylines to make an edgy, effective presentation. The problem is that his efforts are all over the map. At one point, the documentary looks at the failing newspaper industry. At another, it looks at Carr and company. At another, it looks into some of the top scandals at the Times, including the actions of Jayson Blair and Judith Miller. All good, solid subject matter for a documentary, but nevertheless a bit scatterbrain.

Page One: Inside The New York Times has enough resonance that it serves the journalism industry well. At its heart (albeit an unfocused one), the documentary shows hard-working reporters and editors trying to inform an increasingly distracted public. They are performing necessary tasks and hoping the bottom line doesn’t bottom out.

• Page One: Inside The New York Times

• 2011

• Directed by Andrew Rossi

• Written by Kate Novack and Rossi

• Running time: 92 minutes

• Rated R for language, including some sexual references

• Rating: