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), or are supposed to be good at establishing communication.

This list presents fictional journalists sorted by country:

Australia

• Libby Kennedy, from Australian soap Neighbours
• Riley Parker, from the above show

Belgium

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

Chile

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

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 the same film above

Spain

• El reporter Tribulete comics.
• Periodistas TV series

United Kingdom

Individual journalists:

• Becky Burdock, from Jack Staff comics
• George Cragge, from In the Red and sequels by Mark Tavener
• 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 show.
  • Celeste Anders, reporter for the New York Express, played by Celeste Holm in the CBS sitcom Honestly, Celeste! (fall 1954)
  • Matt Anders, free-lance 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, a broadcast journalist in the 1996 film, Up Close & Personal
  • Ted Baxter, talking head from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
  • 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
  • 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
  • Kent Brockman from The Simpsons TV series.
  • Murphy Brown from the show of the same name, along with other FYI staffers Jim Dial, Frank Fontana, Corky Sherwood, and Miles Silverberg.
  • Snapper Carr, a television news reporter in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited television series.
  • 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
  • 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 (actor) on tv show, Smallville
  • Gallegher, teenaged 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, a (1939) motion picture
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Chris Higby, copy-boy of New York Record, played by Gary Vinson on The Roaring Twenties
  • 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
  • Spider Jerusalem, the Gonzo journalist of the future from the graphic novel Transmetropolitan.
  • 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, currently played by Tom Welling on tv series Smallville
  • Carl Kolchak, played by Darren McGavin on ABC's Kolchak: The Night Stalker
  • Klugie, photographer played by Richard Erdman, on Saints and Sinners
  • Lois Lane, reporter for The Daily Planet, played first by Phyllis Coates and then Noel Neill, on Adventures of Superman, currently 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
  • 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!
  • Doris Martin, journalist for magazine Today's World, played by Doris Day on CBS's The Doris Day Show
  • 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
  • Jack McGee, reporter for The National Register on The Incredible Hulk
  • Sam Miller, publisher of the Wilcox Clarion of Wilcox, Arizona, in five episodes of the western series 26 Men (1957-1959)
  • 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
  • Jimmy Olsen, photographer for The Daily Planet, played by Jack Larson on Adventures of Superman and by Aaron Ashmore on tv series Smallville
  • April O'Neil, an anchorwoman for Channel 6 news in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe.
  • 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
  • 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, female sports writer at the fictitious Los Angeles Daily Star played by Marcia Henderson, on NBC's Dear Phoebe, 1954-1955
  • Vic Sage in The Question series from the DC Universe superhero comics.
  • Lou Sheldon, the 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
  • 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
  • Chloe Talbot, "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
  • 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
  • Vicki Vale in the Batman series from the DC Universe superhero comics, and the 1989 movie
  • 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!
  • John Boy Walton, the model of Earl Hamner, Jr., played by Richard Thomas and Robert Wightman on CBS's The Waltons
  • 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, in Left Behind.
  • Duke Williams, journalist with New York Record, played by John Dehner on The Roaring Twenties
  • Steve Wilson, in CBS's 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, a.k.a., Melvin Frohike, Richard "Ringo" Langly and John Fitzgerald Byers, who covered 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.
  • Fake newspaper Lush For Life's entire staff.

For definitive information on the image of the journalist in popular culture, see www.ijpc.org