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Zoe Barnes starts off her career as a digital journalist, and she embodies the theme of old school journalism versus the new ways. The show begain airing near the start of the digital revolution, when printed newspapers where becoming few and far between. House of Cards explores “the difference between print and digital journalism in a manner never done before on television” (Print versus Digital, 129). Barnes brings in a more publicized view of journalists tendencies towards “free-reign” journalism in the blogosphere. We see the theme of editor versus reporter in Barnes’ relationship with her editor, Lucas Goodwin. Goodwin is a traditional print journalist, and because of Barnes’ digital background, they often butt heads. “Zoe argues with Lucas for a tmz-like politics blog written in THE FIRST PERSON, while lucas dismisses the idea. Zoe informs him that this dismissal is the reason print journalism is dying, and lucas tells her, ’then it will die with dignity,’ implying that digital journalism does not have dignity” (Print Versus Digital, 130). Despite backlash from her editor as well as her editorin chief, Barnes starts to gain traction in her career with the help of main character Frank Underwood. On live television, Barnes argues the importance of the emerging age of journalism on the internet. Barnes also shows the danger of new journalism with the ability to publish straight to the web without being first reviewed by an editor. Zoe 10 FICTION May 2018 Although the editors lack popular appeal with the show’s audience, their importance to the industry is stressed. Barnes follows Underwood’s instructions to publish Tweets that are actually, as we like to call it today, fake news. This calls into question the journalistic ethics of Barnes, or the lack thereof. She is at the beck and call of Underwood. She writes what she feels, which is all well and good for bloggers, but when you are a news reporter remaining unbiased is of
paramount importance. Underwood is manipulating her, however, Barnes is knowingly reporting false information. Despite being told by another journalist, Janine Skorsky, “that Underwood is using her, and she needs to rely on others, such as editors and reporters, to vet the information she is disseminating to readers” (Print Versus Digital, 132), Barnes continues with her unethical behavior. Barnes Unfortunately, Barnes demonstrates the negative stereotype of women having sex with their sources to get their stories. Barnes is letting herself be used by Underwood for his own means to further her career. This behavior is completely against the Society of Professional Journalist’s code. Also traditional to women depicted in journalism is her not getting taken seriously. Tom Hammerschmidt, editor-in chief, says, “Know this, Zoe Barnes, Twitter, Enriched media, they’re fads. They’re not what this paper is built on. I won’t be distracted by what’s fashionable” If only this fictional editor-in-chief had a crystal ball to look into the futute (for us, present day) and see how seriously the President of the United States takes Twitter. House of Cards foreshadows the age of Trump and digital journalism through the character of Zoe Barnes. Will journalists like Barnes and the representation of them in fiction ultimately be the downfall of journalism? FICTION May 2018 11
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