Danny Boyle has criticised the erosion of truth in today’s media landscape, drawing a connection between the rise of Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper empire and the attention economy that dominates modern media.
Speaking at the London Film Festival premiere of Ink on Monday, the director described the film as a story about the early development of a media culture in which attention and commercial success came at a cost.
The film follows the rise of British tabloid The Sun and a pivotal year in which the newspaper overtook its rival, the Daily Mirror.
Guy Pearce, who plays Murdoch, described him as ambitious but initially keen to uphold journalistic integrity. Jack O’Connell, who plays The Sun editor Larry Lamb, explained the pursuit of sales and scandal came at the expense of journalistic standards.