Journalism in the Movies

Matthew C. Ehrlich

Exploring the myths of a free press and people in movies since the 1920s

"Matthew Ehrlich's Journalism in the Movies is the book many of us have been waiting for. It treats the much-ignored journalism movies as a distinct genre in film history and is the perfect textbook for any class dealing with the image of the journalist in films. Anyone who wants to understand the public's perception of what journalism and media are all about should read this first-rate book."
-- Joe Saltzman, professor of journalism, and director of The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture, a project of the Norman Lear Center, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California

Matthew C. Ehrlich's Journalism in the Movies is the story of Hollywood's depiction of American journalism from the start of the sound era to the present. Ehrlich argues that films have relentlessly played off the image of the journalist as someone who sees through lies and hypocrisy, sticks up for the little guy, and serves democracy.

Focusing on films about key figures and events in journalism, including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, All the President's Men, and The Insider, Journalism in the Movies presents a unique opportunity to reflect on how movies relate not only to journalism but also American life and democracy.

A volume in the series The History of Communication, edited by Robert W. McChesney and John C. Nerone

Matthew C. Ehrlich is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.