As an aspiring journalist, I look for professional icons and inspirations in the field to emulate. Although movies and TV shows may not be the most realistic depiction of the journalism world, they are a great way to find characters utilizing various journalistic platforms. I am constantly googling, ‘shows about journalists’ or ‘shows with writers.’ In the past few years, I have since created a list of shows and movies that have leads depicting writer girl-bosses to keep me inspired when I need a boost of professional motivation.
- Gossip Girl
The main character, Dan Humphrey, depicts a nerdy high school writer. I have a fictional crush on Dan’s character because of how academically driven he is, as well as his love for all things literature. In addition to Dan’s outward love for writing and reading, journalism is a prominent theme throughout the entire show. From an overall communications perspective, the concept of the Gossip Girl website brings up an interesting early preview of social media. It encapsulates the time period of the 2000s very well, as well as the filthy wealth poured into the Upper East Side of New York City.
- The Bold Type
A television show with girl boss main characters, The Bold Type, shows what life is like at Scarlett Magazine in New York City. Scarlett is a lifestyle magazine similar to Cosmopolitan. The show follows three best friends, Jane, Sutton and Kat, who all work at Scarlett. The three women are young professionals working in various departments at the magazine, giving viewers an insight to the function of the magazine. Not only did I love the themes of friendship drama, relationships and professionalism that this show has to offer, but the journalistic relevance that is strongly emphasized. This show gives viewers what it is like to work in your 20s in the journalism industry, at a fun and dramatic lifestyle magazine.
- Younger
Sutton Foster absolutely nails the role of Liza Miller, a middle aged woman living in New York, posing to be in her twenties for a job in the book publishing industry. Not only does this show produce extremely inspiring characters, but also gives viewers an inside look on the world of book publishing. I enjoyed this show because it shows a less common side of journalism, with an exclusive look on the importance of books.
- Jane the Virgin
One of my favorite shows of all time, Jane the Virgin, is a must watch. Although not focused on primarily journalism, the show highlights the struggles and process of a young aspiring writer. Jane has a chaotic, lovable personality which is a perfect way to show viewers her writing process. The show emphasizes a significant multicultural viewpoint, being based in Miami. The dual perspectives and telenovela style show draws in various tones, narrations and themes in a comedic, lighthearted way.
- Shrill/Girls
There are quite a few similarities between the TV shows Girls and Shrill. Both based in New York City, the shows are based around a quirky, female writer in their late twenties. Hannah [of Girls] and Annie [of Shrill] have very similar personalities. Both women do their best to navigate situationships with men who don’t want to commit, then end up with the exact same outcome. Annie and Hannah have great friends with no shortcoming on drama. Ironically, both characters have British best friends, along with many others, emphasizing the rollercoaster of being in your 20s. The shows have similar themes of what it means to be a writer, deal with rejection and having huge aspirations in the big apple. LGBTQIA+ are heavily represented in both shows, including sexuality prominence in various characters in the shows.