He wished to set the film in a field he understood and opted for broadcast journalism . After talking with network journalists at the 1984 Republican National Convention , Brooks realised it had " changed so much since I had been near it " , and so " did about a year and a half of solid research , " into the industry . When he began writing the screenplay , Brooks felt he " did n't like any of the three main characters " , but decided not to change them and after two months had reversed his original opinion . Brooks stated that this also happens to the audience : " You 're always supposed to arc your characters and you have this change and that 's your dramatic purpose . But what I hope happens in this film is that the audience takes part in the arc . So what happens is that the movie does n't select its own hero . It plays differently with each audience . The audience helps create the experience , depending on which character they hook onto . " He did not decide on the ending of the film until the rest of it had been completed . Brooks was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay for '' Broadcast News '' . At the 38th Berlin International Film Festival , the film was nominated for the Golden Bear and Holly Hunter won the Silver Bear for Best Actress
38th Berlin International Film Festival
38th Berlin International Film Festival
James L. Brooks