This movie was made and released about four years after the events of the Nicaraguan revolution depicted in the film occurred in 1979. American reporter Bill Stewart was killed by Nicaraguan soldiers at that time.
Watching this movie inspired Reuters photo journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, Yannis Behrakis to pursue a career in photo journalism.
This film was part of a cycle of pictures made during the 1980s that featured journalists covering war. The movies include Salvador (1986), Under Fire (1983), Circle of Deceit (1981), Witness in the War Zone (1987), Cry Freedom (1987), The Killing Fields (1984) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982).
Jerry Goldsmith's entire end title music for this film is used to score a sequence in Django Unchained (2012).
Drumming great Vince Colaiuta makes a cameo as the drummer in the night club.