Ep 10. The Greater Fool

In The Newsroom season 1 episode 10, titled "The Greater Fool", the team at News Night continues to navigate through the several challenges that come with their job.

The episode begins with the team feeling the heat from the lawyers after they aired an interview with an ACN employee who accuses the company of engaging in illegal surveillance. Meanwhile, Don and Sloan anchor a special broadcast on the economic crisis in Greece, and Will becomes more and more restless with his ongoing legal battles with Reese and Leona.

As the episode progresses, the team deals with an array of controversies and scandals surrounding their work. There's a power blackout in southern California, and the team receives a tip that one of the major power agencies may have caused it. Charlie and Mac go on to debate whether to run this story or not, as it may be too risky since they do not have enough evidence to support their claims.

Further down the line, Jim is tasked with covering the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement and he decides to do a segment on questions the protesters are frequently asked about their movement. Eventually, he ends up interviewing one of the protesters, making him one of the first media personalities to give a voice to the movement.

The biggest challenge for the team, however, is dealing with the fallout of the interview aired earlier on the surveillance allegations. Neal receives death threats, and the team is put under immense pressure as they deal with the issue surrounding the claims of illegal surveillance.

Throughout the episode, "The Greater Fool," as they start to call it, serves as a continuing theme. The term refers to a type of investment strategy that involves buying a stock despite its poor prospects, based on the belief that someone else will buy it at a higher price later. Will starts to use this principle to make sense of his life, stating that he is "The Greater Fool," investing in himself despite the negative consequences that may come of it.

Overall, "The Greater Fool" is an episode that encapsulates the struggles and questions of morality encountered by a news organization and its team. From the difficulties with legal battles, the tensions around controversy, and the question of journalistic integrity, this episode of The Newsroom pushes the characters to new heights as they attempt to navigate the ever-complicated world of journalism.