MovieChat Forums > The Insider (1999) Discussion > How was the public aware who Wigand was?

How was the public aware who Wigand was?

posted 8 years ago by forthesafetyofpuppies
1 reply | jump to latest

So, the evil cigarette companies launch a slander campaign (including a TV news segment, no less) against Wigand the Whistleblower. But how was his name in the public domain? It seemed, in the film world logic, that he'd been prevented from telling his story. Surely smearing someone who nobody knows is pretty thankless. How was his name in the public domain? And if the cat was already out of the bag, so to speak, what was the point in fighting so hard to prevent his testimony?

Sorry. Re-watching films I tend to zone in on these non-details..

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qssvnjj5Moo

[–] catch_the_spindrift 8 years ago

Wigand testified in that Mississippi court. That's how his name became "known". Remember that slew of reporters meeting him as he arrived at the courthouse? B&W then tried to discredit him prior to his information getting to a wider audience on 60 Minutes.

I hope this helps.

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