In 13 days, it will be the 2nd season premiere for the HBO Original Series, The Newsroom. I made this graphic (fan-art, if you will) in anticipation for the show's return. It's actually one of my favorite shows on television, and I encourage everyone to watch it.

Not since the days of The West Wing has Aaron Sorkin been able to showcase his writing genius like he has with The Newsroom. The overall premise and foundation of the show is simple, but it's strong. In a nutshell, the show is essentially about advocating journalistic reform. With that kind of pitch, it doesn't necessarily blow people's minds the way one would pitch a show like The Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad. Although, there is more depth to this show than what meets the eye. Let me elaborate.

Sorkin debuts this show with a masterpiece of a scene. Perhaps some of the best minutes of television ever recorded, the show protagonist speaks out on the dwindling status of the United States as a powerhouse nation from a perspective seen only by the eyes of a few. It was a magical monologue that gets you hooked on every single word, and in turn, gets you hooked on this vintage piece of television programming genius. The high-caliber writing is consistent through every scene and every episode. With powerful lines and witty banter, the conversations and dialogue between characters is enough to entertain any one. Of course, a great show can't survive on a great script alone. You need powerful characters portrayed by quality actors to give life to a script. The perfect blend in the diversity of characters in The Newsroom greatly complements the brilliant writing. Acting isn't necessarily consistently stellar, but they have their moments of theatrical prowess. Overall, the quality of this show speaks of great volumes but I have to return to what drew me to the show in the first place and why I consistently promote it to my peers. It's a show about real reform.

Currently, we live in an age where infinite amounts of information can be accessed with a single swipe of the finger. With this kind of power, we, as a society, have the duty of handling this information freely but responsibly. With that said, the sources of our information should always be credible and principled with their supply of news on current events. It's a sad fact, though, that many of the major media powerhouses manipulate mundane everyday occurrences and broadcast it for commercial purposes as opposed to educational purposes. Turning your television on at night for the news shouldn't be done for entertainment, it's done for education. These media outlets have the responsibility of ensuring a well-educated electorate; a well-informed constituency. The only way a society can function properly is if there is a direct exchange of quality ideas between those who lead it and those who are being led. Journalism is the perfect avenue to establish bridges of communication and avenues for discourse in society. This is exactly what The Newsroom is about. They don't broadcast the marketable, they broadcast what is real. They don't broadcast what is entertaining, they broadcast what is important.

The quote depicted in the graphic is what I feel sums up the show perfectly. The lines were delivered by Olivia Munn's character, Sloan Sabbith, when queried about her thoughts on the Economics term: "The Greater Fool". She twisted the basic Economics concept and transformed it into an idea that so aptly concluded the show's first season. The Greater Fool is the optimist who thinks he can do the impossible. People try their best to avoid being The Greater Fool because fools only set themselves up for failure and humiliation. A fool dreams too much. A fool is too different from what is normal. A fool is crazy to think that he can transform a culture of journalism, politics, activism, and whatnot. Although in the end, maybe all our society needs is just another fool.