Journalism in the Movies

by Matthew C. Ehrlich

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.

Genres: Journalism

208 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2004

Reviews

[paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

matthew ehrlich could single-handedly save my bachelors degree

[Karl O' · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was running a discussion on the Wilder classic “Ace in the Hole”. This was an excellent reference book.

[MM · Rating 3 out of 5]

sure.