Why are journalists our love story protagonists?
Rom-Coms are known for their beloved tropes: friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, fake relationship, transformation/makeover, a bet/ a lie, career vs. love, opposites attract, cynical realist who doesn’t believe in love... until they do, holiday romance. Among the archetypes that frequently appear in stories is The Journalist.
At first glance, journalism doesn’t seem inherently romantic. Bob Woodward didn’t exactly pave the way as a heartthrob in All the President’s Men (sorry, Bob). Yet, many iconic romance protagonists are journalists.
Here are some standouts:
Andie Anderson – How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
Sabrina Peterson – Never Been Kissed (1999)
Iris Simpkins – The Holiday (2006)
Bridget Jones – Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Tess Nichols – 27 Dresses (2008)
Carrie Bradshaw – Sex and the City
Rory Gilmore – Gilmore Girls
Robin Scherbatsky – How I Met Your Mother (TV journalist)
Rebecca Bloomwood - Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
Andrea Sachs - The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Jenna Rink - 13 Going on 30
Ike Graham - Runaway Bride (1999)
Michael O’Neal - My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Annie Reed - Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Jenny Young - Someone Great (2019)
Sally Albright - When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Journalism plays a role in shaping the personal and romantic lives of each of these characters. It also provides niche opportunities for the character’s narrative to develop.
Characters like Rory Gilmore and Carrie Bradshaw are incredibly quick-witted and skilled with words, which is one of the things that makes them great writers. It also creates a good character for building rapport and chemistry with love interests. Bridget Jones’ humor and wit drive her charm and create a lifeblood of romantic chemistry. Rory Gilmore was raised with banter as her number one method of communication. She navigates love interests who are often as witty as she is (Jess Mariano, anyone?).
Writing about their own lives or others’ experiences also propels the romance plot. Carrie spends years dissecting modern relationships in her column, which brings her epiphanies about her own life throughout the show.
From masquerading as a high school student in Never Been Kissed and striking romance with the teacher (pretty weird, though) to Andie Anderson’s experiment for her column in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the audience can see how journalism provides our protagonists with unconventional situations to find love.
Once romance is established, the journalist often confronts the tension between their professional objectivity and their personal emotions. Ike Graham, for example, in Runaway Bride, was determined to write a story about the runaway bride, Maggie, but ended up falling in love with her. This also reminds the audience of the irresistible nature of true love.
In many ways, the journalist archetype in rom-coms embodies the tension between head and heart. Their profession demands observation, analysis, and sometimes skepticism. Through these movies, we see how even the biggest cynic or objective journalist can’t escape love’s grasp.
