Hillary Clinton called it a troubling “epidemic.” CNN’s Brian Stelter questioned whether its spread aided the rise of Donald Trump. And by the time the fictional Pizzagate scandal had led to an actual shooting, it – “fake news” – had become very real news. But is fake news more than the circulation of false articles across the web? What do we call it when respected journalists report fictional events in movies and TV, as more than 55 have done since 1990?
Nearly twenty years ago, CNN became embroiled in a small controversy. Contact, an extraterrestrial thriller, had just hit theatres. The film starred Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey… and featured 13 CNN journalists. Coming under fire for what was seen as a potential conflict of interest, CNN CEO Tom Johnson informed TV critics that it was not “a good idea" to use real newscasters in entertainment media.
"We've tried to police these things," he explained. "This summer we've let go. I'm responsible." At the time, AP reported that CNN’s policy would be under review. The news outlet now uses an ethics panel to approve appearances of public figures. However, from Chris Cuomo’s reports on earthquakes ravaging California in San Andreas, to Anderson Cooper’s coverage of South Africa’s robotic police officers in Chappie, CNN’s journalists have continued to appear in theaters at a higher rate than any other network’s.
Among the big three, ABC and CBS newscasters have largely stuck to reporting real news on air. Fox has maintained a similar stance. However, in addition to CNN, both NBC and MSNBC have allowed their on-air personalities to play themselves numerous times on the silver screen.
An MRC Culture analysis revealed that in the past 25 years, more than 55 journalists from major networks have acted as themselves in entertainment media ranging from network TV shows, to blockbuster films to Netflix original series. Nearly 30 of those journalists, including Don Lemon, Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer came from CNN. Former host Larry King alone rang in 30 separate appearances on various shows and films.
Journalists acting on entertainment films and shows may seem harmless. However, this practice, as well as the use of network names, has the potential to blur fact and fiction, compromise credibility and prioritize brand over mission. In an article for Vulture, the entertainment branch of New York Magazine, writer Nate Jones discussed the journalistic charge to promote truth in an unbiased manner. “Is it naïve to think that,” he questioned, “by signing on to read fake news reports… these reporters have subsumed [their] noble goals in order to promote their own personal brands?”
Conflict of interest is a relevant concern. And with all of the hubbub surrounding the purveyance of fake news, real-life journalists in film certainly do not ameliorate the phenomenon. “When real reporters allow themselves to be part of fiction, the trust is shattered,” Brian Rooney cogently observed in his Rooney Report. “They do it with a wink, like they are in on the joke, but it costs them their credibility.”
In a 2014 segment of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show, Maddow personified this winking mentality. Discussing her appearance on House of Cards, Maddow acknowledged the negative perceptions of being a real newscaster reporting fake news on film. (House of Cards has been one of the worst offenders in this area.) "There is an unwritten, but almost written, rule when you work in television that when you're on TV, you do not promote other things…on TV," Maddow declared. "I totally understand it, I even concede that it might be a good idea for me to abide by this rule. But, Netflix isn't really TV right?" she justified. The screen then cut to the House of Cards segment in which Maddow debuted.
So is it malicious or careless purveying of the “fake” when Anderson Cooper or Wolf Blitzer report the “news” to us from the movie theatre? No. But separating entertainment and journalism completely would be a good first step in combatting the “fake news” problem.
