The Hack
Episode 1 - review The episode introduces Nick Davies, a journalist who receives an anonymous tip-off suggesting that News of the World is systematically hacking phones, rather than it just being one rouge reporter. Then, Davies begins assembling evidence, facing resistance from media institutions and obstacles to uncovering the scale of the wrongdoing by the news cooperation. It could be argued that this episode entails hints of a parallel strand: the murder of private detective Daniel Morgan and police involvement. Hence, the episode’s role is establishing the forces aligned against Davies, highlighting the media corruption which accompanies the tension between power and press. The genre of the Hack is a true crime political drama. It abides by the genre conventions through the use of slow pacing, investigative montage and voiceover adding realis m. Editorial decisions include; a muted colour palette reflecting the serous nature of the program...