Cinema screen reflections from 1920s to present: how film portryals of print journalists have affected their identities

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This study set out to not only uncover whether journalists were affected but which way they were affected and by what films. Semi-structured e-mail interviews with working print journalists were conducted to uncover possible cases of identification with celluloid characters and film. This research contributes to the attempts to better understand how print journalists' identities are formed. The findings suggest that the majority of interviewees experienced some type of emotional affinity with journalist characters. The findings also suggest that several journalists experienced imitation or self-identification with the characters. In terms of potential identification, many print journalists expressed disapproval of the idea that their or their colleagues' identities were affected by films. Based on the findings, it is suggested that some interviewees experienced nostalgia or fantasy of what journalism used to be when viewing certain films. There was also evidence that suggested that female interviewees have a strong preference towards the character Hildegard 'Hildy' Johnson of His Girl Friday. Interviewees' lack of mention of All the President's Men suggests that the film may not be the landmark film the journalism myth has suggested it is.