Superhero Paper of Choice: The trope of Journalism in the comics
Something that has always drew me to the characters in the comics is the role that Journalism plays. As a journalism major, I have fell in love with the whole world that has been created for these characters. Some of my personal […]
Something that has always drew me to the characters in the comics is the role that Journalism plays.
DC Comics Archive
As a journalism major, I have fell in love with the whole world that has been created for these characters.
Some of my personal favorites include Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Peter Parker.
With this common trope, I have wondered what is the role of journalists and why many characters have chose to pursue it.
In many, you always see the photographer going and taking photos of the event.
There’s the common journalist who uses their profession as a disguise to help them get closer to the action.
Some characters like Clark Kent and Peter Parker use being a journalist to their advantage because they can get intel on the villains they have to defeat.
Showing the characters as journalists also helps fans understand the world of Journalism as a whole.
They see characters like Lois Lane always hunting down what the next story could possibly be.
These characters aren’t afraid to tell the truth and would do anything to make sure it’s out there.
These are also great examples to show just how “heroic” journalists are without the cape and tights.
Lois Lane is one of the best journalist who embodies the term “heroic.”
She is one of the most famous and powerful journalists who works at The Daily Planet in Metropolis alongside Clark Kent.
In efforts to uncover the truth, it may have taken Lane to some dangerous lengths.
Having superheroes like Spider-Man and Superman work as journalists as their day jobs also gives them as sense of normalcy.
Fans are able to relate to the “super” type of characters by seeing them have a typical 9-5 job.
But along with the journalists who use their job for good, the comics also showcase journalists who use it towards their own advantage.
One of these journalists is J. Jonah Jameson from the Spider-Man comics.
After the emergence of Spider-Man in New York City, Jameson became obsessed with finding out who the kid behind the mask was.
He took his power as Editor-In-Chief of The Daily Bugle and vowed that he would expose the masked web-swinger.
Jameson’s character (from both the comics and movies) are known to have a strong hatred for Spider-Man.
This leads to dilemma for Peter Parker because as he works alongside Jameson, taking pictures for Spider-Man, as he has to help him write those stories.
That is probably one of the most important reasons that Journalists play such an important role in the comics.
The stories don’t just highlight and showcase all the good sides of being a journalist. They also show some of the negative sides that can happen when this strive for truth is handled wrong.
As an up and coming journalist myself, I look too many of these characters for inspiration.
I hope one day I can be just as “heroic” as Lane, Kent and Parker and write stories to inspire the world.
