“The Paper,” “The Lowdown,” and the Drama of Journalism

In the past twenty years, more than a third of all American newspapers have shuttered; trust in media institutions is now at a historic low. And yet we’re still drawn to depictions of reporters onscreen. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss two recent entries into the genre: “The Paper,” a workplace comedy from Greg Daniels and Michael Koman set at a failing local newspaper, and “The Lowdown,” a crime noir from Sterlin Harjo about a freelancer and self-styled “truthstorian.” They compare these new works with earlier examples to illuminate how the practice—and perception—of journalism has changed. In classics such as “All the President’s Men,” Fry notes, “The airing of the facts via the news, via this character of the journalist, makes us feel like it’s gonna be O.K. Like, the truth is out!” Today, she says, “I’m not sure we treat newsmaking the same way.”

Read, watch, and listen with the critics:

“The Paper” (2025–)
“The Lowdown” (2025–)
“All the President’s Men” (1976)
“The China Syndrome” (1979)
“Citizen Kane” (1941)
“The Gilded Age” (2022–)
“The Office” (2005–13)
“‘The Paper’ Is Old News,” by Inkoo Kang (The New Yorker)
Brian Stelter’s Reliable Sources newsletter
“Spotlight” (2015)
“Succession” (2018–23)
“My Undesirable Friends” (2025)
404 Media

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Critics at Large is a weekly discussion from The New Yorker that explores the latest trends in books, television, film, and more. Join us every Thursday as we make unexpected connections between classic texts and pop culture.