The Image of the Journalist in Marvel Comics' Daredevil
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University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 5-2012 Reporting Matt Murdock's Double Life: The Image of the Journalist in Marvel Comics' Daredevil Robby Wayne O'Daniel [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Journalism Studies Commons Recommended Citation O'Daniel, Robby Wayne, "Reporting Matt Murdock's Double Life: The Image of the Journalist in Marvel Comics' Daredevil. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2012. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/1190 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Robby Wayne O'Daniel entitled "Reporting Matt Murdock's Double Life: The Image of the Journalist in Marvel Comics' Daredevil." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Master of Science, with a major in Communication and Information. Paul G. Ashdown, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Elizabeth M. Hendrickson, Margaret L. Dean Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Reporting Matt Murdock’s Double Life: The Image of the Journalist in Marvel Comics’ Daredevil A Thesis Presented for The Master of Science Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Robby Wayne O’Daniel May 2012 Abstract Popular entertainments often provide the general public with a construct for who a journalist is and what the work of a journalist entails. It is important to study journalists in the popular culture to understand how the idea of the journalist is conceived by those who do not go to newsrooms and do not have first-hand experience with how journalists work. In order to do their jobs, journalists must regularly interact with the public at large, gathering facts, coordinating appointments, interviewing and so on. If these people have a negative image of the journalist, it would be helpful for journalists to understand how and where that image might come from, in order to better communicate with the public at large and have greater ease in doing their jobs. Comic books, in particular, have received little academic interest. Yet in comic books like Daredevil, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, a supporting character – seasoned investigative journalist Ben Urich – is among the cast of characters, and throughout the narrative, characters interact with journalists and journalism. This thesis uses textual analysis to look at what kind of categories journalists and journalism are placed in throughout the pages of various Daredevil comics from the beginning of the series in 1964 to the present. The study found that widely conflicting depictions of journalists exist in the pages of Daredevil comics. Journalists are mostly portrayed as negative, yet many characters rely on journalism daily for major information and entertainment. Urich is portrayed as an excellent journalist by others, but at times, he acts like a reporting novice. ii Table of Contents Literature Review.............................................................................................................................5 PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF JOURNALISTS ......................................................................................................................... 5 JOURNALISM HISTORY ................................................................................................................................................ 9 COMIC BOOKS........................................................................................................................................................... 11 JOURNALISTS IN COMIC BOOKS ................................................................................................................................. 15 JOURNALISTS IN POPULAR CULTURE ......................................................................................................................... 17 DAREDEVIL .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 Methods..........................................................................................................................................24 Results ............................................................................................................................................27 THE FIRST EIGHT ISSUES OF DAREDEVIL ................................................................................................................... 27 The ubiquity of newspapers in Daredevil, volume one, 1-8 ................................................................................. 27 Pack journalists and incompetent journalists in Daredevil volume one, 1-8 ...................................................... 29 THE UBIQUITY OF MEDIA IN DAREDEVIL COMICS ..................................................................................................... 31 PACK REPORTERS IN DAREDEVIL COMICS ................................................................................................................. 40 INCOMPETENT JOURNALISM IN DAREDEVIL COMICS ................................................................................................. 46 EARLY URICH: DAREDEVIL, VOLUME ONE, 159-161 ................................................................................................ 55 Contrast between pack journalists and expert journalist Urich in Daredevil 159-161 ....................................... 55 JOURNALIST SEEKING FAME AND FORTUNE IN DAREDEVIL COMICS .......................................................................... 60 WRITER FRANK MILLER’S SIGNATURE WORK, DAREDEVIL: “BORN AGAIN” ........................................................... 63 Crusading journalist in Daredevil: “Born Again” .............................................................................................. 65 Journalist as superior public servant in Daredevil: “Born Again” .................................................................... 67 JOURNALIST AS EXCEPTION, THE ELITE JOURNALIST URICH ..................................................................................... 72 UNETHICAL PUBLISHER IN DAREDEVIL COMICS ........................................................................................................ 77 DAREDEVIL’S SECRET IDENTITY EXPOSED IN DAREDEVIL: “OUT” ............................................................................ 82 The pack reporters in Daredevil: "Out" .............................................................................................................. 85 The unethical publisher in Daredevil: "Out" ....................................................................................................... 88 Journalist with a conflict of interest in Daredevil: "Out" .................................................................................... 90 JOURNALIST WITH A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN DAREDEVIL COMICS ........................................................................ 91 Discussion ......................................................................................................................................97 LIMITATIONS .......................................................................................................................................................... 100 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ................................................................................................................. 101 Works Cited .................................................................................................................................103 Vita ...............................................................................................................................................108 iii Table of Figures Figure 1: The cover of Daredevil volume one, issue eight depicts a newspaper in the corner. ....27 Figure 2: Pack journalists swarm around Daredevil, asking him to pose for photographs in Daredevil volume one, issue four. .................................................................................................40 Figure 3: Daily Bugle newspapers look more like one-page newsletters in Daredevil volume two, issue 65...........................................................................................................................................49 Figure 4: Ben Urich writes a Daily Bugle story with no named sources and withheld information in Daredevil volume two, issue 80. ...............................................................................................51 Figure 5: Daredevil asks Ben Urich for information in Daredevil volume one, issue 160. ..........55 Figure 6: Ben Urich’s thoughts constantly return to his fantasy of winning a Pulitzer Prize in Daredevil volume one, issue 179. ..................................................................................................59 Figure 7: Ben Urich