The Oscar-nominated film The Post (2017), directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, focuses on press freedom, but also on a very important and current issue: the role of women in the world of work.
Meryl Streep plays the role of Katharine Graham, a woman who set the tone as the editor-in-chief of The Washington Post at a crucial time in U.S. history: in the 1970s, The New York Times would have revealed state secrets about the Vietnam War, and President Nixon wanted to close the iconic newspaper, thus endangering other media and freedom of expression in the country.
Despite all the threats, social and political pressure (and having absolutely everything to lose) Katharine Graham decided to bet on freedom and allowed The Washington Post to publish the rest of the information about the Vietnam War. The other newspapers followed, and in the end the truth prevailed over censorship.
However, this was not an easy road. Graham inherited the newspaper from her late husband, who in turn received it from Katharine's father. In other words, she didn't inherit her father's company, her husband did. At the time, this was natural because women were not very involved in the workplace, much less at the executive level.
With this in mind, the film reflects Graham's plight: an underestimated woman, despite owning a newspaper, did not have a commanding voice in it and was always overshadowed by her advisors. This is emphasized in a scene where Katharine holds a meeting with some bankers, and every time she intervenes, no one listens to her; surrounded by men, they are just men listening to other men. She's invisible. The frustration of her gaze and her trembling hands project the helplessness that women feel when they find themselves in this terrible situation... Relegated to the role of a simple accessory.
It's even scary when you see a scene in the newsroom or in a meeting room: usually one or two women surrounded by many men, or no women at all. This makes us reflect on the progress that has been made in almost 50 years, and there is still much to do.
Finally, Katharine Graham understands that if she wants to be heard, she must impose herself and make her voice heard. She assumes her role as editor, owner of the company and takes the risk of authorizing the publication of confidential information about Vietnam, despite threats from the government and the possibility of closing the newspaper (and being sent to jail).
In this way, Graham made history as one of the most important figures in the American press, as well as a symbol for all women who want to raise their voices, fight for their ideals and achieve their goals.
Graham understood very well: if a voice is silenced, who will speak for us when we have all been silenced by the yoke of censorship?
