American Newspaper Journalists On Film

When "talking" pictures first appeared in cinema theaters in the late 1920s, films about newspaper journalists quickly became a Hollywood mainstay. These were a variety of responses from working reporters, editors, and photographers. The newspaper film was a popular genre in the 1950s, and famous films such as All the President's Men (1976) and Spotlight (2015) have depicted the power of the press. Journalists have also been portrayed in films that are not specifically about newspapers, appearing in noir films like Woman on the Run (1950), Westerns such as Fort Worth (1951), comedies like The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), musicals like Wake Up and Live (1937) and historical epics like Lawrence of Arabia (1962). A film historian and former newspaper writer, the author investigates how accurately films have portrayed journalists across the decades. The book also details what journalists thought of the depictions at the time, contributing to brief histories and analyses for each film. Featured journalist archetypes include airy reporters, screaming editors, photographers, sportswriters and war journalists. Classics, misfires, Westerns, obscure treasures and films the press both adored and detested are all included in this comprehensive here.

When "talking" pictures first appeared in cinema theaters in the late 1920s, films about newspaper journalists quickly became a Hollywood mainstay. These were a variety of responses from working reporters, editors, and photographers. The newspaper film was a popular genre in the 1950s, and famous films such as All the President's Men (1976) and Spotlight (2015) have depicted the power of the press. Journalists have also been portrayed in films that are not specifically about newspapers, appearing in noir films like Woman on the Run (1950), Westerns such as Fort Worth (1951), comedies like The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), musicals like Wake Up and Live (1937) and historical epics like Lawrence of Arabia (1962). A film historian and former newspaper writer, the author investigates how accurately films have portrayed journalists across the decades. The book also details what journalists thought of the depictions at the time, contributing to brief histories and analyses for each film. Featured journalist archetypes include airy reporters, screaming editors, photographers, sportswriters and war journalists. Classics, misfires, Westerns, obscure treasures and films the press both adored and detested are all included in this comprehensive here.

From All the President’s Men to Zodiac, some of the most compelling films of the last century have featured depictions of journalists in action. While print journalism struggles to survive, the emergence of news from social media outlets continues to expand, allowing the world to be kept informed on a second-bysecond basis. Despite attacks on journalists—both verbal and physical—a free press remains a crucial bastion for civilized society. And just as the daily news reflects the current state of affairs, films about journalism represent how reporting has evolved over the last few centuries. In Encyclopedia of Journalists on Film, Richard R. Ness provides a comprehensive examination of the fourth estate in cinema—from newspaper reporters to today’s cyber journalists. In this volume, Ness provides in-depth descriptions and analyses of more than five hundred significant films, from the silent era to the present, including international productions and made-for-television movies. The entries focus on the image of the press on screen and ethical issues or concerns raised about the practices of the profession. Collectively, the entries demonstrate that there is a recognizable genre of journalism films with definable plot patterns and iconography. Each entry features: Major credits including directors, writers, and producers List of characters and the actors who portray them Running time Plot synopsis Analysis of the role of journalism Many of the entries feature critical reviews as well as cogent selections of dialogue. Films discussed here include comedies such as His Girl Friday (1940), nail-biting thrillers like Foreign Correspondent (1940) and The Parallax View (1974), social commentaries like Network (1976) and The China Syndrome (1979), dramas like Citizen Kane (1941) and The Post (2017), and of course, Academy Award winners All the President’s Men (1976) and Spotlight (2015). A definitive study of a film genre, Encyclopedia of Journalists on Film will be of interest to film scholars, researchers, journalists, and students of popular culture.

Cynical news hounds, grumbling editors, snooping television newscasters, inquisitive foreign correspondents, probing newsreel cameramen, and a host of others--all can be found in this reference work to Hollywood's version of journalism: from the early one-reelers to modern fare, over a thousand silent and sound films can be found. Each entry includes title, date of release, distributor, director, screenwriter, and major cast members. These credits are followed by a brief plot summary and analysis, cross-references and other information. The book is arranged alphabetically, and includes a preface, introduction, bibliography, a list of abbreviations, appendices, and an index of names. The detailed introduction covers an historical survey of the topic, with numerous film examples. The work also includes a selection of stills from various films.

Whether it's the rule-defying lifer, the sharp-witted female newshound, or the irascible editor in chief, journalists 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, Matthew C. Ehrlich and Joe Saltzman survey how popular media has depicted the profession across time. Their 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, Heroes and Scoundrels reveals how portrayals of journalism's relationship to history, professionalism, power, image, and war influence our thinking and the very practice of democracy.

From cynical portrayals like The Front Page to the nuanced complexity of All the President’s Men, and The Insider, movies about journalists and journalism have been a go-to film genre since the medium's early days. Often depicted as disrespectful, hard-drinking, scandal-mongering misfits, journalists also receive Hollywood's frequent respect as an essential part of American life. Matthew C. Ehrlich tells the story of how Hollywood has treated American journalism. Ehrlich argues that films have relentlessly played off the image of the journalist as someone who sees through lies and hypocrisy, sticks up for the little guy, and serves democracy. He also delves into the genre's always-evolving myths and dualisms to analyze the tensions—hero and oppressor, objectivity and subjectivity, truth and falsehood—that allow journalism films to examine conflicts in society at large.

A study of the representation of journalists on film and what this tells us about society's relationship with journalism and news media.