ABSTRACT
Style vs. substance serves as the theme of Broadcast News, a movie popular in the early part of 1988. One correspondent is knowledgeable, experienced, and ethical, but he ends up losing (both career advancement and the girl) to his competitor, who is glib, facile, and knows how to sell the news and himself. As is so often the case, this movie portrays style and substance as opposite poles of a single dimension. One purpose of this chapter is to uncouple these factors, and to examine the ways that style can contribute to, or interfere with, one’s effectiveness.
