Heroes and Scoundrels

Abstract

Whether it's the rule-defying lifer, the sharp-witted female newshound, or the irascible editor in chief, the journalists portrayed in popular culture have shaped our views of the press and its role in a free society since mass culture arose over a century ago. Drawing on portrayals of journalists in television, film, radio, novels, comics, plays, and other media, this book surveys how popular media have depicted the profession across time. The book's creative use of media artifacts provides thought-provoking forays into such fundamental issues as how pop culture mythologizes and demythologizes key events in journalism history and how it confronts issues of race, gender, and sexual orientation on the job. From Network to The Wire, from Lois Lane to Mikael Blomkvist, the book reveals how portrayals of journalism's relationship to history, professionalism, power, image, and war influence our thinking and the very practice of democracy.

When Institutions Fail: Communitarianism and Spotlight

“…Previous researchers have argued that popular culture depictions such as Spotlight are important because they could influence public opinion and public trust about realworld journalists, as well as provide insights into the lived experiences of those journalists (Brennen, 2004(Brennen, , 1995Ehrlich, 1997;Ehrlich & Saltzman, 2015;McNair, 2010;Stone & Lee, 1990). In Spotlight, reporters are portrayed as heroes who hold powerful people and institutions accountable by performing the normatively approved functions of journalism (Ehrlich, 2004;McNair, 2010).…”

“…Journalists and journalism historically have played a leading role in popular culture. Film and television depictions could influence public opinion about real-world journalists (Ehrlich, 1997), could influence public trust in the media (Ehrlich & Saltzman, 2015;McNair, 2010;Stone & Lee, 1990), and could provide useful insights into the lived experiences of journalists (Brennen, 2004(Brennen, , 1995. Further, popular culture depictions could affect the perception and clout of the media at least as much if not more so than the work done by actual journalists (Ehrlich & Saltzman, 2015;McNair, 2010).…”

“…Film and television depictions could influence public opinion about real-world journalists (Ehrlich, 1997), could influence public trust in the media (Ehrlich & Saltzman, 2015;McNair, 2010;Stone & Lee, 1990), and could provide useful insights into the lived experiences of journalists (Brennen, 2004(Brennen, , 1995. Further, popular culture depictions could affect the perception and clout of the media at least as much if not more so than the work done by actual journalists (Ehrlich & Saltzman, 2015;McNair, 2010). Though correlative, the potential impact on audiences could be amplified because Most audience members will never be a part of, or even see, a working newsroom, so notions of what a journalist is and does are more likely to have come from reading about journalists in novels, short stories, and comic books, and from seeing them in movies, TV programs, plays, and cartoons (Ehrlich & Saltzman, 2015, p. 2).…”

“…Journalism's prominence in popular culture in the past 150 years shows us that journalism has been and remains a subject with immense appeal to those who make and consume popular culture. Journalistic representation has become a common topic both in the popular press and in academic books and journals (e.g., Ehrlich & Saltzman, 2015;Painter, 2017;Painter & Wilkins, 2021;Peters, 2015;Ragovin, 2010;Sabin, 2011;Steiner et al, 2013). The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture project (www.ijpc.org) provides valuable resources including a database of journalists and other mass communicators depicted in films, television, books, and other forms of mass communication, as well as a peer-reviewed journal, classroom materials, and other resources.…”

Implicación emocional y deseo aspiracional en el relato periodístico de The Newsroom (HBO). Análisis de la audiencia profesional en España

“…Las manifestaciones del periodismo en la cultura popular permiten proyectar modelos capaces de suscitar la admiración o el rechazo de la opinión pública. La caracterización de estos personajes se ha establecido a partir de su rol ético, como héroes o villanos (Ehrlich & Saltzman, 2015). La visión honorable de la profesión aparece reflejada en la serie de Aaron Sorkin, The Newsroom (HBO, 2012(HBO, -2014.…”