Alaska Daily
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Alaska Daily
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Alaska Daily is a drama series about a disgraced journalist who gets a fresh start in Alaska and breaks an important story about missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW). The series is noteworthy for tackling the ongoing issue of MMIW; including it in a primetime drama is an example of how entertainment can foster education, empathy, and compassion. The series also has a refreshing focus on investigative journalism and how it serves the wider community. Alaska Daily does feature sexual situations, alcohol use, and slightly iffy language.
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What's the Story?
ALASKA DAILY follows Eileen Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), an investigative journalist who was at the top of her game in New York City before she endured a scandal. Now disgraced and out of a job, she's been offered a position by her old mentor at his newspaper, The Alaskan. Once she takes on the role, she's given possibly the story of a lifetime: uncovering the pattern behind the growing number of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Alaska.
Is It Any Good?
This is a powerful drama that both upholds the tenets of investigative journalism and puts the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) on its largest platform yet. Sensitively written and acted, Alaska Daily showcases stellar performances from Swank, Grace Dove, and Jeff Perry. Dove plays Rosalind Friendly, the jaded but determined native Alaskan journalist partnered with Eileen (Swank) on the story about MMIW, and Perry plays Stanley Cornick, the epitome of the patient constancy we expect from the editor in chief of a newspaper.
Viewers who've worked in newsrooms may find that Alaska Daily brings back fond memories of working a beat. The series could encourage viewers not only to believe in journalism again, but could inspire some to choose it as a career. Stories like MMIW need to be told on a national scale, which can't happen without journalists. And the movement to find these victims can't grow if empathy and compassion are in short supply; shows like Alaska Daily can expose viewers to this issue and compel them to feel, which could translate into action.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of journalism. Why is journalism needed to help keep communities safe?
How does the journalism shown in Alaska Daily safeguard democracy and people's rights?
What does the series teach about missing and murdered Indigenous women?
How does the series showcase racial diversity?
Does the series subvert the "White savior" trope?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 6, 2022
- Cast: Hilary Swank, Grace Dove, Jeff Perry, Pablo Castelblanco
- Network: ABC
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Activism
- Character Strengths: Communication, Compassion, Courage, Curiosity, Empathy, Integrity, Perseverance, Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: October 12, 2022
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