List of fictional journalists

Attributing the profession of journalist to a fictional character allows many possibilities for the author: reporters may travel extensively and face adventures (like Tintin), are among the first to have news of disasters and crimes (like Clark "Superman" Kent and Peter "Spider-Man" Parker), and are supposed to be good at establishing communication.

This list presents fictional journalists sorted by country:

Australia

• Martin "Marty" Di Stasio, senior reporter on the fictional TV current affairs show Frontline
• Libby Kennedy, from Australian soap opera Neighbours
• Susan Kennedy, from Australian soap opera Neighbours
• Mike Moore, anchor of Frontline
• Riley Parker, from Neighbours
• Brooke Vandenberg, reporter on Frontline
• Alex Burchill, reporter on Lowdown

Austria

• Brüno Gehard, fashion reporter featured in the mockumentary comedy film Brüno

Belgium

• Tintin, from comics
• Spirou and Fantasio, from the same comic series

Canada

• Louis Ciccone, from Seeing Things
• Caitlin Ryan, from the Degrassi series

Chile

• Tulio Triviño, from Chilean puppet TV show 31 minutos
• Juan Carlos Bodoque, Mario Hugo, Balon Von Bola, Mico Micofono, Juanin Juan Harry, Patana Tufillo from 31 minutos

France

• Georges Duroy, Bel Ami's main character
• Joseph Rouletabille, in Gaston Leroux's novels

Hong Kong

• Lily Wong from comic strips

Italy

• Paparazzo, from Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita, origin of the term paparazzi
• Marcello Rubini, from La Dolce Vita

Japan

• Meiko Kurita, Washington correspondent for Hakura News Network, in Stephen Mertz's novel The Korean Intercept (2005)

Kazakhstan

• Borat Sagdiyev, from the mockumentary comedy film Borat

Sweden

• Annika Bengtzon, in novels by Liza Marklund
• Mikael Blomkvist, from the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson

United Kingdom

Individual journalists

• Becky Burdock, from Jack Staff comics
• George Cragge, from In the Red and sequels by Mark Tavener
• Froud, from the novel Stowaway to Mars by John Wyndham
• Bridget Jones, from Helen Fielding's columns, novels and films
• Jack Parlabane, from the novels of Christopher Brookmyre
• Ford Prefect, from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
• Katie Reed, from Kim Newman's Anno Dracula series
• Rita Skeeter, from the Harry Potter series
• Sarah Jane Smith, from the television series Doctor Who
• Vivian Rook, from the Doctor Who episode "The Sound of Drums"
• Mattie Storin, House of Cards
• Jasmine Thomas, Emmerdale
• Polly Becker, EastEnders
• Tony Hills, EastEnders

Groups of journalists

• Ankh-Morpork Times' staff in the Discworld novels: William de Worde, Sacharissa Cripslock, Otto Chriek and others
• Various staff from Broken News; Josh Cashman, Richard Pritchard, Katie Tate, Adam Lockwood, Frances Walsh, Anthony Markovitz and others
• GlobeLink News staff in Drop the Dead Donkey; Gus Hedges, George Dent, Helen Cooper, Sally Smedley, Henry Davenport, Damien Day and others

United States

Individual journalists

• Chick Adams, reporter in New York City played by Jack Weston, on the CBS sitcom My Sister Eileen (1960–1961)
• Ichabod Adams, former newspaper owner played by George Chandler on CBS's sitcom Ichabod and Me (1961–1962)
• Nick Alexander, reporter played by Nick Adams, on NBC's Saints and Sinners (1962)
• Amy Amanda "Triple A" Allen, reporter who covered The A-Team in the TV series by the same name
• Celeste Anders, reporter for the New York Express, played by Celeste Holm in the CBS sitcom Honestly, Celeste! (1954)
• Matt Anders, freelance anti-communist journalist at the height of the Cold War, played by Brian Keith in the 1955-1956 CBS adventure/drama Crusader
• Ben Andrews, police reporter in syndicated Manhunt, played from 1959-1961 by Patrick McVey
• Larry Appleton from Perfect Strangers
• Tally Atwater, broadcast journalist in the 1996 film Up Close & Personal
• Matt Bai, with Yahoo! News in the political thriller series House of Cards
• Billy Batson, radio news reporter and the secret identity of the comic book superhero Captain Marvel
• Ted Baxter, talking head from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• Howard Beale, TV news anchor of the UBS Evening News, played by Peter Finch in the film Network
• D.X. Beaumont, magazine editor played by Raymond Bailey, on My Sister Eileen
• Paul Beltzer, magazine publisher played by James Philbrook, on CBS's The New Loretta Young Show
• Cy Bennett, editor of Today's World magazine, played by John Dehner on CBS's The Doris Day Show
• Maddy Bowen, reporter played by Jennifer Connelly in Blood Diamond
• Tom Bradford, editor and columnist of fictional Sacramento Register, modeled on novel by Tom Braden, played by Dick Van Patten on ABC's Eight Is Enough
• Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City TV series
• Kent Brockman from The Simpsons TV series
• Murphy Brown from the show of the same name, along with FYI staffers Jim Dial, Frank Fontana, Corky Sherwood, and Miles Silverberg
• Anson Bryson, Washington reporter, in William C. Heine's novel The Last Canadian (1974)
• Clint Buchanan from One Life to Live soap opera
• Walter Burns, reporter played by Cary Grant in His Girl Friday
• Michelle Capra, columnist from Northern Exposure
• Snapper Carr, television news reporter in comic books and animated series featuring the Justice League
• Tess Mercer, executive editor and managing director of The Daily Planet played by Cassidy Freeman on TV series Smallville
• Ben Caxton, an investigative journalist in Robert Heinlein's novel Stranger in a Strange Land
• Miles Clarkson, music journalist from The Mephisto Waltz
• Harris Claibourne, editor of The Tombstone Epitaph, played by Richard Eastham on ABC series Tombstone Territory (1957–1960)
• Stephen Colbert, played by Stephen Colbert in The Colbert Report
• Jefferson Crowley, newspaper editor played by Edmond O'Brien in "Gallegher" segments of NBC's Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
• Chloe Sullivan, former reporter for The Daily Planet, played by Allison Mack on TV series Smallville
• Pepper Dennis, in the show of the same name
• Bryan Denton, reporter for the New York Sun in Disney's musical Newsies
• Art Donovan, assistant city editor played by Jack Bannon, on Lou Grant
• Jefferson Drum, crusading frontier journalist played on the 1958 NBC series of the same name by Jeff Richards
• Brooke English, from All My Children soap opera
• Vernon Fenwick, anchorwoman and cameraman for Channel 6 News in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe
• Jack Flood, newspaper researcher played by Robert Harland, on ABC's Target: The Corruptors!
• Mr. Fosdick, newspaper boss played by Charles Lane on the NBC series Dear Phoebe (1954–1955)
• Kermit the Frog from Sesame Street
• Grant Gabriel, former assistant editor of The Daily Planet, played by Michael Cassidy on TV series Smallville
• Gallegher, teenage cub reporter played by Roger Mobley, on NBC's Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1964–1965)
• Walter 'Wichita' Garrett from The Return of Doctor X, 1939 film
• Pat Garrison, reporter for New York Record, played by Donald May on The Roaring Twenties (1960–1962)
• Rory Gilmore, from Gilmore Girls
• Mark Grainger, editor played by John Larkin on NBC's Saints and Sinners
• Lou Grant, newspaperman on series also called Lou Grant and on the earlier The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• Ben Gregory, magazine writer played by Barry Coe, on ABC's Follow the Sun (1961–1962)
• Tom Grunick, TV news anchor played by William Hurt in the film Broadcast News
• Sean Hannity, TV personality/show host on Fox News, on the US House of Cards
• Jackie Harvey, from The Onion
• Bill Hastings, writer of the advice-to-the-lovelorn column of the fictitious Los Angeles Daily Star, played by Peter Lawford, on NBC's Dear Phoebe (1954–1955)
• Nancy Hicks-Gribble, voiced by Ashley Gardner, a weather girl, and later anchor on Channel 84 in Arlen, Texas on King of the Hill
• Chris Higby, copy-boy of New York Record, played by Gary Vinson on The Roaring Twenties
• Jennifer Horton, from Days of Our Lives soap opera
• J. Jonah Jameson, newspaperman played by Robert F. Simon on The Amazing Spider-Man
• Rick Jason, magazine researcher played by Gary Lockwood on Follow the Sun
• Sierra Jennings, from the All About Us franchise
• Spider Jerusalem, the gonzo journalist of the future from the graphic novel Transmetropolitan
• Hildy Johnson, reporter played by Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday
• Tom Jumbo-Grumbo, voiced by Keith Olberman, blue whale anchor on BoJack Horseman
• Charles Foster Kane, newspaperman played by Orson Welles, in the film Citizen Kane
• Clark Kent, reporter for The Daily Planet by day and Superman off-duty, played by George Reeves in Adventures of Superman, Tom Welling on TV series Smallville and Henry Cavill in Man of Steel
• John King, TV reporter for CNN, on the US TV series House of Cards
• Klugie, photographer played by Richard Erdman, on Saints and Sinners
• Alexander Knox, reporter for the Gotham Globe in the 1989 film Batman
• Carl Kolchak, played by Darren McGavin on ABC's Kolchak: The Night Stalker
• Lois Lane, reporter for The Daily Planet, played first by Phyllis Coates and then Noel Neill, on Adventures of Superman; played by Erica Durance on Smallville
• John Larsen, owner of a comic book company, played by Jerome Cowan on The Tab Hunter Show
• Adam MacLean, editor of Yellowstone Sentinel newspaper, played by Rex Reason on syndicated television series Man Without a Gun
• Rachel Maddow, show host and reporter, MSNBC, on the US TV series House of Cards
• Robert "Bob" Major, newspaper owner played by Robert Sterling on CBS series Ichabod and Me
• Paul Marino, newspaper reporter played by Stephen McNally on Target: The Corruptors!
• Mark Markin, INN/CNN reporter in Lash-Up (2001 novella/2015 novel by Larry Bond)
• Doris Martin, journalist for magazine Today's World, played by Doris Day on CBS's The Doris Day Show
• Steve Martin, reporter for United World News, played by Raymond Burr in the films Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956) and Godzilla 1985 (1985)
• Christine Massey, magazine writer played by Loretta Young on The New Loretta Young Show
• Willie Maxwell, reporter in Center City, Iowa, played by Eddie Applegate on NBC's Nancy (1970)
• Jack McEvoy in Michael Connelly's 1996 mystery novel The Poet
• Will McAvoy, anchor and managing editor of "News Night", played by Jeff Daniels on HBO's The Newsroom
• Jack McGee, reporter for The National Register on The Incredible Hulk
• Percy "P.C.M." Mercy, editor of View magazine, in Allen Drury's novel The Throne of Saturn (1971)
• Sam Miller, publisher of the Wilcox Clarion of Wilcox, Arizona, in five episodes of the western series 26 Men (1957–1959)
• William Miller, teenage aspiring rock journalist, played by Patrick Fugit in Almost Famous
• Trudy Monk, San Francisco journalist and late wife of Adrian Monk in the TV series Monk
• Morbo the Annihilator, voiced by Maurice LaMarche, the belligerent alien co-anchor of The √2 News on Futurama
• Paul Morgan, cartoonist played by Tab Hunter on NBC's The Tab Hunter Show (1960–1961)
• Les Nessman, from WKRP in Cincinnati
• Billie Newman, reporter played by Linda Kelsey, on Lou Grant
• Trevor Newsworthy from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air TV series
• Tyra Nordbo from the Man-Kzin Wars
• Scott Norris, reporter of New York Record, played by Rex Reason on ABC's The Roaring Twenties
• Bill Norton, New York Herald reporter in Eric Frank Russell's novel, Dreadful Sanctuary (1948)
• Jimmy Olsen, photographer for The Daily Planet, played by Jack Larson on Adventures of Superman and by Aaron Ashmore on TV series Smallville
• Soledad O'Brien, non-fictional anchor of Al Jazeera America, making guest appearance on US House of Cards
• Kelly O'Donnell, non-fictional anchor/reporter for NBC News, making guest appearance on US House of Cards
• April O'Neil, anchorwoman for Channel 6 News in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe
• Nic Pappas, in Peter J. Gallanis's 2014 mystery novel The Reporter, Part I - Rise and Fall
• Dion Patrick, Irish American newspaperman played by Adam Kennedy, on NBC's The Californians (1957–1958)
• Dick Preston, radio host in Arizona, played by Dick Van Dyke on CBS's The New Dick Van Dyke Show
• Miranda Priestly, fashion magazine editor, played by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada
• Sweet Polly Purebred, reporter for TTV in the television series Underdog; her boss was O.J. Skweez
• Margaret Pynchon, elitist publisher played by Nancy Marchand on Lou Grant
• Lloyd Ramsey, small-town newspaper editor played by Ford Rainey, in Robert Young's CBS sitcom Window on Main Street
• Mickey Riley, sports writer at the fictitious Los Angeles Daily Star, played by Marcia Henderson, on NBC's Dear Phoebe, 1954–1955
• Jack Ryder, journalist and alter-ego of the Creeper, superhero and occasional ally of Batman
• Andrea Sachs, aspiring journalist, played by Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada
• Vic Sage in The Question series from the DC Universe superhero comics
• Murray Scarvi, columnist and radio commentator opposed to the Apollo program, in William R. Shelton's novel Stowaway to the Moon: The Camelot Odyssey (1973)
• Robin Scherbatsky, news anchor for New York cable news channel Metro News 1 in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother; famous for her use of the filler words "but, um" in that order, and falling in horse manure on live television
• Lou Sheldon, city editor of New York Globe, played by Gary Merrill on CBS's The Reporter (1964)
• Ruth Sherwood, magazine writer played by Elaine Stritch on My Sister Eileen
• Diane Simmons, anchor on the TV show Family Guy
• Sabrina Spellman in the TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch
• Brenda Starr, reporter for the Chicago newspaper The Flash from the Brenda Starr comic strip and movies
• Dave Tabak, copy editor played by Robert F. Simon on NBC's Saints and Sinners
• Tricia Takanawa, reporter on Family Guy
• Chloe Talbot, on The Simpsons, Marge's high school chum who goes on to be a famous journalist
• Danny Taylor, reporter for New York Globe, played by Harry Guardino on The Reporter
• Paul Templin, magazine writer played by Brett Halsey on Follow the Sun
• Tom Tucker, news anchor on Family Guy
• Hal Towne, newspaper columnist on CBS's The Dennis O'Keefe Show, with Dennis O'Keefe in the featured role
• Abby Townsend, press secretary to the First Lady of the United States, played by Celeste Holm on NBC's Nancy
• Frankly Unctuous, TV newscaster, in The Throne of Saturn (1971)
• Vicki Vale in the Batman series from the DC Universe superhero comics and the 1989 film
• Linda van Schoonhoven, voiced by Tress MacNeille, is the perky human blonde co-anchor of The √2 News on Futurama
• Dan Vasser, reporter on Journeyman
• Bob Wallace, son of the newspaper editor, played by Scott McKay on CBS's Honestly, Celeste!
• Mr. Wallace, newspaper editor, played by Geoffrey Lumb (1905–1990) on CBS's Honestly, Celeste!
• Nicole Walker, from Days of Our Lives soap opera
• John Boy Walton, modeled on Earl Hamner, Jr., played by Richard Thomas and Robert Wightman on CBS's The Waltons
• Herb Welch, veteran reporter on Saturday Night Live, played by Bill Hader
• Trinity Wells in the television series Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures
• Perry White, editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, played by John Hamilton on Adventures of Superman
• Francis Wilde, photographer played by Randy Boone on CBS's western Cimarron Strip
• Cameron "Buck" Williams, played by Kirk Cameron in the original film Left Behind and by Chad Michael Murray in the 2014 version of Left Behind
• Duke William, journalist with New York Record, played by John Dehner on The Roaring Twenties
• Steve Wilson, in CBS' Big Town, managing editor of The Illustrated Press in a large American city, played from 1950-1954 by Patrick McVey

Groups of journalists

• Daily Planet and Galaxy Broadcasting staff in the Superman series: Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Lana Lang, Morgan Edge and others from DC Comics US superhero comics, then passed onto comic strips, television series, and films
• The Lone Gunmen, aka Melvin Frohike, Richard "Ringo" Langly and John Fitzgerald Byers, who cover conspiracies in their self-titled magazine and The Magic Bullet on The X-Files and their own spinoff series, The Lone Gunmen
• Now magazine and Daily Bugle staff in the Spider-Man series: J. Jonah Jameson, Peter Parker, Betty Brant Leeds, Ned Leeds, Frederick Foswell, Robbie Robertson, Ben Urich, Lance Bannon and others from the Marvel Universe superhero comics, then passed onto comic strips, TV series and films
• San Diego Channel Four News Team in the movie Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy : Ron Burgundy, anchorman, alongside co-anchor Veronica Corningstone, weatherman Brick Tamland, sportscaster Champ Kind, and field reporter Brian Fantana; Burgundy's rival from Channel Two is Wes Mantooth
• Fictional newspaper Lush For Life's entire staff

External links

• Information on the image of the journalist in popular culture, at ijpc.org