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

• Martin "Marty" Di Stasio, a 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, the anchor of Frontline
• Riley Parker, from Neighbours
• Brooke Vandenberg, a reporter on Frontline

Austria

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

Belgium

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

Canada

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

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 the same film above

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

Individual journalists:

• Annika Bengtzon, 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
• 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
• 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
• Matt Bai, Yahoo! News in the US 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 other 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, a 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, 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) 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)
• 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.
• 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
• John King, TV reporter CNN, on the US TV series House of Cards
• 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
• 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
• 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!
• 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, teenaged aspiring rock journalist, played by Patrick Fugit in Almost Famous
• Trudy Monk, San Francisco journalist and late wife of Adrian Monk in the American TV series Monk
• 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 Al Jazeera America, making guest appearance on US House of Cards
• Kelly O'Donnell, Non-fictional anchor/reporter NBC News, making guest appearance on US House of Cards
• April O'Neil, an 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, female 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 a New York cable news channel, Metro News 1 in the modern 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, 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
• 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, 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
• 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 (actor)
• 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 Williams, 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, 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