Alec Baldwin believes that Americans have a misunderstanding of the world’s most pressing problems.
The reason for this, he explained at a recent event, is that they are uneducated and misled by the media.
The 66-year-old “Rust” actor, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Torino Film Festival in northern Italy, commented on the media’s influence on news reporting.
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Alec Baldwin believes that Americans are “informed” not only about what is happening in their own country, but also about international affairs. (Photos by Stefano Guidi/Getty)
“Television news in the United States is a business. They have to make money,” Baldwin said during a press conference, via The Hollywood Reporter. He added, “There’s a hole. There’s a gap. There’s a gap, if you will, in the knowledge of the American people.”
He continued, “The American people have no knowledge about the facts – what is really happening. With climate change, Ukraine, Israel … You name it, all the big topics in the world, the American people want to get a little information.”
Alec Baldwin looked animated during the Torino Film Festival. (Matteo Secci/LaPresse via AP)
“There is a gap, if you will, in the knowledge of the American people.”
Baldwin believes the film industry – which he has been a part of for decades – plays a role as well.
“That space is being filled by the film industry. Not just the independent film industry, not just the documentary film industry – which is very important in the world. But with narrative films, too. Where the filmmakers and buyers, studios, and networks and broadcasters, are willing to go that way.
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Alec Baldwin said that Americans are “desperate for less information.” (Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images)
Baldwin, who won an Emmy for his portrayal of President Trump in 2017, also addressed the current political climate. Asked about his fears and aspirations for the country now that Trump is back in the Oval Office, Baldwin responded without directly addressing the billionaire businessman.
“Americans have no idea about the truth – what’s really going on. With climate change, Ukraine, Israel.”
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Alec Baldwin portrayed Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live” for several years. (Will Heath/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
“There are many challenges that have to be faced,” he said about the country. “The environment, the problem of plastic, of permafrost: there are plastic molecules in every corner of the world. These are real problems that need to be solved.”
“Each building will need to have another energy component,” he continued. “Every hospital, school, airport, and government building will have to have photovoltaic panels on the roof. We must force the states to work on alternative sources of energy. But we will never abandon oil and gas. You can think of an ambulance or a fire department vehicle that is electric and has to be fueled charging station?”
Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin starred in the 1990 thriller, “The Hunt for Red October.” (Paramount/Getty Images)
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In addition to receiving the award, Baldwin appeared in Italy to present a screening of his 1990 film, The Hunt for Red October, in which he starred alongside Sean Connery.
