Journalism and Harry Potter

Creative media sometimes seem to have an absolute passion for badly representing journalists. It seems as though every other books portrays reporters as nosy, unethical rumor-mongers. The acclaimed Harry Potter series was certainly no different.

If you've read the books or seen the movies, you'll undoubtedly remember Rita Skeeter, the Daily Prophet writer who terrible misrepresented Harry. Does such writing affect the public opinion of journalists? Kevin Carlson of the Missouri School of Journalism reports that it does not.

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When it comes to how journalists are portrayed in J.K. Rowling's immensely popular Harry Potter book series, Missouri School of Journalism doctoral student Daxton R. "Chip" Stewart, MA '04, expected perceptions to meet reality. The negative depiction of Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet, Stewart figured, would push readers' attitudes toward journalists in an adverse direction.

A recent study of 657 students at MU, however, proved differently.

"Basically, I did a media effects study of Harry Potter reading to see if the negative image of journalists in the books carried over," Stewart said. "I expected kids who read the books, particularly the fourth and fifth books, to have more negative thoughts about news media credibility. Instead, the study showed that Harry Potter readers had greater feelings about media credibility in spite of the negative portrayal."

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