The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture
Professor: Josh Roiland
Office: Flanner Hall 1038
Email: jroiland@nd.edu
Phone: 574-631-2599 (office)
“That’s the press, baby. The press! And there’s nothing you can do about it. Nothing!”
—Ed Hutcheson, Deadline U.S.A.
Course Description
The profession of journalism has changed dramatically in the last 120 years. So, too, have representations of journalists in popular culture. From Clark Kent to Carl Bernstein, the relationship between real journalists and fictitious ones is an important area of study because the ways in which the public conceives of journalism influences the ways in which they encounter the news. This class will investigate the image of the journalist in popular culture through several distinctive eras in the journalism history. We will look at the muckraking and yellow journalism of the 1890s, the professionalization of journalism in the 1920s, the golden age of American journalism in the 1950s, the war correspondent during Vietnam, the investigative journalists in the Watergate Era, and the contemporary journalist in the Digital Age. We will look at how these eras produced a variety of memorable journalistic types: the intrepid investigative reporter, the idealistic crusader, the hard-boiled cynic, the wash-up drunkard, and the adventurous war correspondent.
Film Viewing
We will watch a lot of films this semester. Most weeks I have paired two films together to offer a comparative approach. You must screen every required film, and you are encouraged to watch the recommended films as well. All of the reading is required, and you should not watch a recommended film at the cost of not doing the reading. All screening and reading should be completed by the day it appears on the syllabus; that is, if an assignment is listed on the date Thursday, January 17 then you need to come to class having completed the assignment by that day. Streaming films can be located in course Sakai page under “Resources.”
Required Texts
• Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies
• W. David Sloan & Lisa Mullikin Parcell, American Journalism: History, Principles, Practices
• Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward, All the President’s Men
Recommended Text
• Timothy Corrigan, A Short Guide to Writing About Film, 8th Ed.
Course Requirements & Evaluation
• Mandatory daily attendance, participation, & film notes: 25%
• Three Essays (1250 words min.) 40% (total)
• Research Paper 35%
WEEK 1: What We Talk About When We Talk About Journalism
Class 1
Course Introduction
Class 2
Page One: Inside the New York Times (2011)
Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel, “What is Journalism For?” from The Elements of Journalism
Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies, Ch.1, “Studying Journalism Through Movies”
WEEK 2: Lingering Zeitgeist
Class 3
Julie Hedgepeth Williams, “The Purposes of Journalism” in American Journalism
Buzz Bissinger, “Shattered Glass” (Vanity Fair, September 1, 1998)
Class 4
Shattered Glass (2003)
Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel, “Truth: The First and Most Confusing Principle” from The Elements of Journalism
Matthew C. Ehrlich, “Fabrication in Journalism: Shattered Glass” from Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies
WEEK 3: The Standard
Class 5
His Girl Friday (1940)
Jim Upshaw, “Characteristics of Journalists” in American Journalism
Carolyn Kitch, “Women in Journalism” in American Journalism
Class 6
The Front Page (1931)
Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies, Ch.2, “The Front Page”
Howard Good, “Bottoms Up” from The Drunken Journalist
WEEK 4: Frank Capra
Class 7
Meet John Doe (1941)
Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies, Ch.3, “Screwball Comedy & Frank Capra”
Elliot King, “Coverage of Washington” in American Journalism
Class 8
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
J. A. Hendricks & Shannon K. McCraw, “Coverage of Political Campaigns” in American Journalism
WEEK 5: Publishers
Class 9
Citizen Kane (1941)
Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies, Ch.4, “Citizen Kane”
Pauline Kael, “Raising Kane”
Class 10
Fred Blevens, “Publishers” in American Journalism
Jim McPhereson, “Mergers, Chains, Monopoly, and Competition” in American Journalism
ESSAY ONE DUE
WEEK 6: Noir
Class 11
Deadline U.S.A. (1952)
Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies, Ch.5, “News in a Noir World”
Howard Good, “The Dog that Bit You” from The Drunken Journalist
Class 12
Ace in the Hole (1951)
Michael A. Longinow, “News Gathering” in American Journalism
James Aucoin, “Investigative Journalism” in American Journalism
WEEK 7: The Sixties
Class 13
Medium Cool (1968)
Norman Mailer, from Miami and the Siege of Chicago
Class 14
Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward, All the President’s Men, p.1-70
WEEK 8: Watergate
Class 15
Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward, All the President’s Men, p.71-198
Class 16
Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward, All the President’s Men, p.199-241
WEEK 9: Spring Break
NO CLASS—Spring Break
WEEK 10: Watergate
Class 17
All the President’s Men (1976)
Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward, All the President’s Men, p.242-336
Class 18
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Michael Schudson, “Watergate and the Press” from The Power of News
James D. Startt, “The Press and U.S. Presidents” in American Journalism
ESSAY TWO DUE
WEEK 11: Broadcast News
Class 19
Network (1976)
Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies, Ch.6, “News and Conspiracy”
Class 20
Broadcast News (1987)
William E. Huntzicker, “Television News” in American Journalism
WEEK 12: Blurred Lines
Class 21
Absence of Malice (1981)
S. Holly Stocking, “What is Good Work? Absence of Malice” from Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies
Ernest L. Perry, “Coverage of Crime” in American Journalism
Class 22
The Killing Fields (1984)
WEEK 13: Investigative Journalism
Class 23
The Insider (1999)
Dane S. Claussen, “Economics, Business, & Financial Motivations” in American Journalism
Helen Rounds, “Reform Journalism, Exposes, and Crusading” in American Journalism
Class 24
The Paper (1994)
Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies, Ch.7, “Myth & Antimyth in Contemporary Film”
WEEK 14: Independent Media
Class 25
Goodnight and Good Luck (2005)
Linda J. Lumsden, “Press Criticism” in American Journalism
Michael Dillon, “Ethics in Black and White: Good Night and Good Luck” in Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies
Class 26
Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies, Ch.8, “An Unseen Power”
Paulette D. Kilmer, “The Press & Government” in American Journalism
ESSAY THREE DUE
WEEK 15: Student Curated
Class 27
Class 28
WEEK 16: Wrap-Up
Class 29
Last Class
Josh Roiland 