By Sarah Kathryn Cleaver
Rows of desks in fluorescent-lit newsrooms, secret meetings in the shadows of car parks, workaholic hacks married to the job – you can spot a film about journalism with the sound off. Thanks to the subject’s consistent presence on screen – from screwball comedies of the 1940s to viral Netflix series and new release She Said – the tropes are embedded in our consciousness. Whether portraying journalists as heroes, villains or flawed characters trying to do their jobs, these films explore a number of contemporary anxieties, from the corruption of power to the dumbing down of culture.
There’s another universal anxiety running through many of these stories: characters wondering whether to show themselves or stay hidden. Whether or not to put yourself out there creatively, professionally or interpersonally is a struggle shared by many – maybe that’s the real reason for the genre’s lasting appeal.
