Reporting on the Newsroom
Disciplines
Broadcast and Video Studies | Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication | Journalism Studies | Mass Communication | Public Relations and Advertising | Social Influence and Political Communication
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The HBO television show, The Newsroom, created by Aaron Sorkin is the focus of this study, specifically digging deeper into how the show portrays journalists and the journalism industry. The purpose of this study is to establish whether or not The Newsroom portrays the journalism industry accurately, and this study prompts further thought on how the television show impacts society's view on journalism. The media portrayal of journalism may be a contributing factor to why society is becoming more skeptical of news media, and the content covered in The Newsroom may contribute to this skepticism. In conducting a thematic analysis of the first episode in season one of The Newsroom, five themes were identified. Those themes are as follows: 1) journalists believe that Americans and American news are missing a sense of integrity, 2) journalists are faced with life and death scenarios, 3) journalism is an honorable profession, 4) journalists are manipulative, and 5) trust is a fundamental to journalism. The identified themes within the script insinuate that journalism is an honorable art form that has been lost and that modern-day journalists should reclaim the integrity of their careers. Critics' responses to The Newsroom show that modern-day journalists have a love-hate relationship with the television show, proving that The Newsroom is not the most flattering in its portrayal of journalism. It may benefit future studies to go beyond how The Newsroom portrays journalism; future studies should focus on the specifics of how audiences are interpreting The Newsroom and how it may impact one's perception of their own favorite nightly news anchor. It may also be of benefit for future studies to examine multiple media portrayals of journalism. This study may help one to better understand the influence Hollywood has on society.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Communication & Media
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Lindsey Hand
Reporting on the Newsroom
The HBO television show, The Newsroom, created by Aaron Sorkin is the focus of this study, specifically digging deeper into how the show portrays journalists and the journalism industry. The purpose of this study is to establish whether or not The Newsroom portrays the journalism industry accurately, and this study prompts further thought on how the television show impacts society's view on journalism. The media portrayal of journalism may be a contributing factor to why society is becoming more skeptical of news media, and the content covered in The Newsroom may contribute to this skepticism. In conducting a thematic analysis of the first episode in season one of The Newsroom, five themes were identified. Those themes are as follows: 1) journalists believe that Americans and American news are missing a sense of integrity, 2) journalists are faced with life and death scenarios, 3) journalism is an honorable profession, 4) journalists are manipulative, and 5) trust is a fundamental to journalism. The identified themes within the script insinuate that journalism is an honorable art form that has been lost and that modern-day journalists should reclaim the integrity of their careers. Critics' responses to The Newsroom show that modern-day journalists have a love-hate relationship with the television show, proving that The Newsroom is not the most flattering in its portrayal of journalism. It may benefit future studies to go beyond how The Newsroom portrays journalism; future studies should focus on the specifics of how audiences are interpreting The Newsroom and how it may impact one's perception of their own favorite nightly news anchor. It may also be of benefit for future studies to examine multiple media portrayals of journalism. This study may help one to better understand the influence Hollywood has on society.