Challenge: Reinvent The Daily Planet in the Mythos

[godisawesome]

This is not a “Controversial Opinion” thread, where you argue what you think the best version is, because I want this to genuinely have a range of places from classic but updated to crazy if you want to.

So...

The Daily Planet... section of WGBS’s website.

- When Clark Kent first gets hired by Perry White, it’s not a major newspaper anymore, and it hasn’t been for years. It doesn’t even produce print newspapers anymore, something that annoys and irritates Perry White. Right now, it’s just a subsection of the WGBS site dealing mainly with local Metropolis news, alongside dozens fo to her absorbed media companies and trademarks. Part of the story is White, Lane, Kent, and others managing to slowly raise the Daily Planet’s rep and prestige to the point where it becomes nationally, then internationally focused, and might even manage to rebel against its corporate overlords.

Perry White... troublesome old-timer and idealist.

-The reason White’s working this origami holy limited job is because, after a few years of trying to do what his bosses ordered at WLEX, he eventually rebelled, ran stories they didn’t want, and got fired. WGBS hired him initially as a small-scale publicity stunt; they’re not impressed with him either, but they wanted the quick snub of WLEX. Perry mixes genuine ideals and standard as with a surprisingly good business sense... particularly talent.

Lois Lane - almost-Military Intelligence interrogator, daredevil, and “writing style criminal“

- She nearly followed her father into the service, and was enrolled in officer school as an interrogator and analyst, before blowing the lid off a scandal at her school that burned what bridges she would have had going forward and dropping out to be a reporter. The result is freakishly good investigator, interviewer, and hard nosed survivor... but not a natural writer in terms of “voice” for her work. That’s what she’s working on - shifting from cold, analytical, and less refined military style reports to journalistic writing. This is in contrast to...

Clark Kent - gifted writer, but irreverent and extremely untraditional one

- Think a writing style like Chris Cilliza at CNN - high on “voice”, editorial opinion, and “edutainment” stylings, and somewhat doubted at first as a truly journalistic force. Growing into a more effective and objective reporter without so much sass is his goal... and why he’s a good partner for Lois, as their skills cover for each other’s weaknesses, though they also grate on each other’s nerves. He’s “mild-mannered” in that he can be remarkably chill, and his column’s voice has a light sarcastic but polite tone to it - so it’s part ironic nickname, and part that he’s remarkably casual.

Jaime Olsen - the local source, part-time photographer, go-fer, social media goofball, and “Nomad”

- Not Jimmy, as he now heralds from a transplanted Latinx family from Arizona. Unlike Lois and Clark, he was born and raised in Metropolis, and has a freakishly high number of connections, because pretty much everyone likes him... even his ex-girlfriends. Perry hired him as just office help, but Jaime loves photgrapy, and what he lacks in training, he makes up for in sheer brass balls. He’s always the first to hear rumors about weird stuff in Metropolis, and can quickly identify if it’s for real or nor - and that’s why Lois zeroed in on him as her personal assistant. He also tries to run his own You-Tube channel... but he’s a bit inconsistent and too busy for it to really work.

[Kuwagaton]

The Daily Planet itself to me being the equivalent of NBC would have Clark as Bryant Gumbel. Even better actually if they also know he's Superman.

[Jackalope89]

Yeah, gonna pretend that Clark never revealed his identity here.

While true, most newspapers are in major decline, there's a few that are still going pretty strong. Like the New York Times and Washington Post. But I would combine the news paper with a television side as well. So there's room for journalists in the classic sense, but also mainstream media outlets that are still relevant.

[Kaitou D. Kid]

If they return Superman to his Golden Age roots, The Daily Planet should be the equivalent of an independent media program like Democracy Now. They operate in New York, fight for the little guy, and are relatively known even in higher-up circles.

[Cyberstrike]

The Daily Planet should be an online news site that has reporting on news in a more traditional newspaper text and pictures and also has an online video department. For me I think Clark and Lois work better as writers than as TV/online news personalities (didn't they have Clark working as a TV news host and it didn't work) it makes them less glamorous and more relatable I think. I guess it depends on how well it's done.

[9th.]

They should be online, they're going to need someone for pics, video, and an app developer. I don't see Clark or Lois as TV reporters so they can still be journalist. Jimmy can be the photo guy and the person behind the Twitter account (or whatever DC's version of Twitter is).

[9th.]

You know what the social media segment of the Daily Planet might require a new character instead of trying to squeeze poor Jimmy into all of the media roles.

[DochaDocha]

Yeah, gonna pretend that Clark never revealed his identity here.

While true, most newspapers are in major decline, there's a few that are still going pretty strong. Like the New York Times and Washington Post. But I would combine the news paper with a television side as well. So there's room for journalists in the classic sense, but also mainstream media outlets that are still relevant.

Agreed, in particular with your two examples. NYT and the Post are still highly relevant, so if you get the Planet to mirror those, then it stays relevant.

On the other hand, we can think of ways to revamp the individual characters.