6 rom-com reporters, ranked

The Devil Wears Prada still, image via 20th Century Fox

With Sunday night’s sneak peek of the Freeform drama The Bold Type, TV and movies with a romantic comedy (or dramedy) slant add yet another story of ambitious journalists to their roster. So, how do these rom-com reporters stack up?

What is it about the world of journalism that’s so appealing to producers? In the case of stories that center on staffers at fashion or women’s magazines, maybe it’s that sense of taste-maker authority and style that seems so implicitly glamorous. When the publication leans newsier, it’s easy to admire characters chasing an important or interesting story with grit and gumption.

Whatever the explanation, from All the President’s Men to The Devil Wears Prada, countless movies and TV shows over the years have chosen newspaper or magazine offices as their settings and reporters as their leads. Romantic comedies (or dramedies) in particular seem to be breeding grounds for scrappy journo tales. And though the reporters at the center of the story are almost always terrible at their jobs (sorry guys, you are NOT allowed to sleep with your story subjects), they have typed their way into the pop culture canon. And occasionally into our hearts.

6. Amy Townsend, Trainwreck

Publication: A pretty gross men’s magazine, from what we recall

Backstory: Amy is a hard-partying journo and supposed ultimate cool girl, because she works at a skeevy men’s mag. Between her nightly escapades, she’s tasked with writing a profile on up-and-coming sports doctor Aaron Conners, played by Bill Hader at his most charming. (Seriously, have never found Hader attractive but this movie was persuasive on that front.) Surprise, surprise: Amy ends up falling for Dr. Conners and questioning her starkly anti-monogamy stance.

Journalistic talent: Like so many rom-coms centered on journalists, Trainwreck’s vision of how employment at a magazine works is pretty off-base. If Amy was really an accomplished writer working for a prestigious (if misogynistic) publication, she would *not* casually get drunk with the subject of a big story she’s working on and hook up with him. Or if she did, it would be a big deal and one she could get in a lot of trouble for. Plus, it’s just not a good look professionally.

The movie also employs the stereotype of the icy supervising editor, in this case, played by an almost unrecognizable Tilda Swinton. Yes, there are cold and intimidating women in leadership roles at major magazines. But it’s not a rule. And the choice to always depict powerful women as cruel and unlikeable only furthers problematic cliches. Also, having an eye for style and a penchant for stilettos does not automatically make someone mean.