What image comes to mind when you think of Alaska?

You might picture endless snow-covered plains, the mysterious aurora, or the vast landscapes filled with giant bears and herds of reindeer.

But where do these fixed images come from? I believe the media has a significant influence on what we think.

In the history of popular culture, the work that has made the most decisive contribution to building the charming small-town image of Alaska is undoubtedly the drama . Airing on CBS in the early to mid-1990s, this mega-hit tells the story of an elite doctor from New York who moves to the fictional small town of Cicely, Alaska.

The drama breaks the stereotype of a cold and barren icy land, lovingly depicting the warm and quirky local residents and their rich daily lives.

Thanks to this drama, countless viewers around the world have come to see Alaska not with vague fear but with familiarity and longing.

I, too, am one of those who remember Alaska as a "romantic city I want to visit someday" after watching this emotional drama.

On the other hand, films on screen have often portrayed Alaska as a completely different extreme stage.

Nature documentaries have depicted Alaska as a harsh testing ground that shows how weak and small humans can be in the face of vast nature.

Films like starring Liam Neeson, which involve survival struggles against a pack of wolves, or documentaries about young people rejecting civilization, have defined Alaska as "the last frontier untouched by civilization."

Recently, TV reality shows have cleverly capitalized on these wild images.

Survival reality shows like , , and aired on Discovery and National Geographic are prime examples.

These programs vividly showcase the rough life of catching crabs in frozen seas, stimulating the public's senses.

While they certainly provide entertainment and have raised public interest in Alaska, they also have the side effect of confining all life there to an isolated wilderness landscape.

However, the reality of Anchorage is quite different from the landscapes we've seen in the media.

It is a wonderful modern metropolis with high-rise buildings, modern shopping malls, stylish restaurants, excellent medical facilities, and high-speed internet.

While enjoying the convenient infrastructure of a metropolis like New York or Seoul, you can encounter majestic nature just a short drive away, embodying the form of a "blessed city."

After only seeing survival stories in the wilderness, facing the sophisticated urban landscape of Anchorage can even feel like a strange betrayal. So sometimes, I wish that the realistic and pleasant urban lifestyle of Anchorage would be more widely known through the media.

If you're curious about the true face of Alaska's cities and the vivid realities behind the media's portrayal, I highly recommend the recent drama starring Hilary Swank.

This well-made journalism drama, aired in the 2020s, tells the story of a veteran journalist whose career was derailed by a scandal in New York, who moves to the editorial office of a local daily newspaper in Anchorage, Alaska.

The charm of this work lies in its refusal to treat Alaska merely as a tourist destination for auroras or a wilderness filled with bears. Instead, it realistically depicts the dynamic daily life of local journalists who are fiercely reporting and racing against deadlines within the modern city of Anchorage.

It directly addresses not only the lifestyles of the sophisticated residents living in the city but also serious local issues such as social conflicts faced by Alaska Native communities and missing persons cases. The protagonist's journey from the glamorous New York to initially feeling out of place, gradually becoming immersed in the close-knit community and unique charm of Anchorage, is expressed with great depth.

As you watch the drama, you form a deep connection, realizing, "Oh, Alaskans also go to work in the morning with Starbucks coffee and read the local newspaper while pondering the city's issues, just like us." If you want to meet the real, living, and breathing present of Alaska, why not dive into the story of Anchorage in ? It could be a wonderful starting point to break the biases created by the media!