Before the days of reality television, Network seemed surreal and impossible; however, in today's world the possibility of such an event happening does not seem nearly as unbelievable. Though such a thing had never been seen, the film comes across as completely believable.

The newsroom atmosphere is clearly and realistically portrayed in the film. The sets are very good, and they help viewers to feel as if they, too, are part of the network. Viewers see the difficulty involved in running a network, and at first feel sympathy for a network that has to deal with Howard Beale's crazy statements. However, as individuals and the network as a whole begin to exploit the distressed man, we become more and more separated from the network, feeling sympathy only for Howard and for his viewers at home who have no idea how their actions are affecting...