When’s the last time you’ve seen a positive portrayal of journalists in the media? For me, that would be All The President’s Men, a 1976 film on the Watergate scandal. Today, the journalists I see on TV are more of the Rita Skeeter type: nosey, ruthless, and rude.
My last post on the public perception of journalists got me thinking about how journalists are portrayed in my favorite fandom: anime. Here are some of my favorites:
Tina, Toriko
Tina is an anchor for Gourmet News, and she often accompanies Toriko on dangerous ingredient-gathering excursions. She’s always trying to get her next big scoop on rare ingredients, but usually there’s a mishap with her camera.
Fran Doll, Turn A Gundam
Fran is really good at her job, somehow managing to take shots from the front lines, risking incredible danger. But she’s seen more as a nuisance at odds with the protagonists. Even as the Luzianna government censors all her work, she keeps documenting the war. I couldn’t find a screenshot, so that’s Fran in her cameo in Gundam Build Fighters!
Akira Komatsuzawa, Ouran High School Host Club
A third-year student at Ouran, he loses his position as president of the newspaper club when he decides to pursue a baseless rumor on host club president Tamaki. He’s a clear villain with no ethical worries about inventing a story to harm another student’s reputation.
Niko, Engaged to the Unidentified
A high school newspaper club member with no scruples whatsoever. She sneaks around for stories and considers one character’s concern over her ample butt to be a scoop. Niko is a hapless antagonist, whom the other characters try to keep our of their personal business.
Diethard Reid, Code Geass
A former member of the press staff at Hi-TV, a Britannian television station, Reid eventually defects to the rebellion and literally becomes a terrorist. He uses his journalism background to become Head of Information, Espionage, and Public Relations for the Black Knights.
Of course, these are just a few of them. There are many, many more! Who is your favorite journalist character in the anime world?