Episode 100: Journalist Superheroes
Edison Carter, the investigative journalist, with his trusty camera, his producer Theora Jones and his alter-ego Max Headroom.
Science fiction is full of heroic journalists, and the real-life world of journalism is filled with people who have been deeply influenced by ideas from science fiction. In this episode, we talk about the love affair between Superman and muckrakers — and the deep connection between cyberpunk and media criticism. Plus, how did the 1970s movie Network predict memes and cable news?
Works Cited, & Etc.
Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days (we incorrectly identified the novel as being by H.G. Wells in the episode — sorry about that!)
Ida B. Wells, “Lynching, Our National Crime,” a speech given at an NAACP conference in 1909
Upton Sinclair, The Jungle
Nellie Bly, Around the World in 72 Days
Superman in his muckraker days
Network (1976), dir. Sidney Lumet
Hunter S. Thompson
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, All the President’s Men
“What We’re Missing When We Say Goodbye to Alt Weeklies,” Washington Post
“These Alt Weeklies Faced Total Annihilation — Here’s How They Survived,” The Daily Beast
The San Francisco Bay Guardian
Max Headroom (1987 series), created by George Stone, Rocky Morton, Annabel Jankel
Spider Jerusalem, in Transmetropolitan
The Lone Gunmen in The X-Files
Superman and Lois
The Colbert Report
Mr. Robot, created by Sam Esmail
1987 Max Headroom signal jamming incident in Chicago
Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project
Edward Snowden
Monica Stewart in The Expanse