The characters in Broadcast News work at a network television news bureau in Washington, D.C. Jane (Holly Hunter) is an intense and accomplished producer, and Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks), a talented reporter. They are best friends and could be something more, but all their energy is invested in their work. That is why they are both shocked and peeved when Tom Grunick (William Hurt), a handsome and inexperienced reporter waltzes into the bureau and in a short time dazzles management with his on-air charisma and poise. Well aware that Jane has made him look good to his superiors, he tries to establish a relationship with her outside the office. Although turned on by his sexual allure, she is dubious about his success-at-any-cost ethic.

Director James Brooks, whose last outing was Terms of Endearment, scores some points here against the lowering of journalistic standards and the emphasis upon entertainment in the news business. But this fresh and funny flim's real clout is in its fascinating portrait of three yuppies who are struggling with the meaning of work and love in their hectic, tense, and pressured lives.

These zealous careerists pour their passion into the television news. Personal relationships are put on the back burner. Is it all worth it when careers can vanish overnight with budget cuts or management changes? The film poignantly raises that question, and viewers, like the characters, will have to decide for themselves.