Breaking the News

Breaking the News is a cautionary tale about journalism in an age of spin and spectacle. For the first time this documentary reveals the story of East Timorese journalists at the centre of their country's turmoil and the high cost of bearing witness to the struggles. Filmed in newspaper offices, in homes and on the street, this observational journey gives a strong sense of the life for journalists in a developing country. Local journalists intermittently work for foreign media uncovering tough stories in an unstable environment. What happens to the local journalists when foreign reporters return safely home after covering each crisis, their stories in the can? Jose Belo and Rosa Garcia are two local journalists enmeshed in the political turmoil of their country. Professional colleagues and rivals, Jose and Rosa were both activists supporting their fellow East Timorese during the Indonesian occupation. (official distributor synopsis)