Robb Montgomery

My colleague, Ahmed Montasser, is providing simultaneous Arabic to
English translation to me in this moment. He is literally whispering
into my ear as I query an editor at the steps of Al Ahram. Egypt's
largest newspaper

Over the past three weeks I have filmed more than eight key interviews in Toronto, Moscow, Cairo and Alexandria for the journalism documentary, "Breaking The News."

Interviews with editors-in-in chief in Moscow and Alexandria, entrepreneurial journalists at a week-old-online startup in Toronto, and today, the chairman of the board of a 15,000 employee media house in the most populated Arabic country in the world.

The film is getting slightly ahead of me as the reporting is outpacing the editing. But that is to be expected. I am enjoying filming and reporting the living history of this story. “Breaking The News”is already five years in the making.

Soon, I will have to send in my Sony HDV camera to the shop to see that the video heads get some tender loving care. World travel this rough and relentless is very hard on delicate electronic systems. I am always surprised at how tough the gear I carry is made. Just incredible.

See a sneak peek prototype scene from the film I recently edited from fresh footage made in Moscow.

Last month I screened a sampling rough cut interviews in Toronto at a meeting of newspaper publishers. That experience was recorded quite accurately here.

I have other edited scenes on my iPad that I show colleagues and everyone asks “Is the film done yet?” Of course not. It will take a lot of finishing funds to make it a feature-length film ready for the big screen . . . but more importantly, the story is not done yet.

Stay tuned.

“Breaking the News” examines the big problems and new solutions that publishers and journalists are facing during this transition to digital media. Problems with revenue loss, changing newsroom culture, training of journalists to support multiple platforms and unlimited competition for attention.