In praise of Clark Kent, the immigrant reporter
Superman might always have been destined to be a superhero. As for Clark Kent, he could have been anything. But the creators of the comic made Superman’s real identity a journalist. We’ll get back to that.
The character and his vocation have been on my mind as a new Superman movie was released this week. The MAGA crowd is already upset.
Their grievance? In an interview, director James Gunn stated that one of the themes of his version is the character’s immigrant story. Superman is a literal alien – a being from another planet who made his way to a new land and set out to improve it.
“Superman is the story of America,” Gunn said.
It’s the story of looking for a better life, and for a way to make a positive impact in your new world. Gunn went on to say that we’ve lost the value of “basic human kindness”.
Well, Gunn’s innocent reminder didn’t sit well with many in right-wing media. The outrage machine revved up, and the usual suspects on Fox and talk radio complained about “woke” Superman and declared that they’d skip the film. Former Trump aide Kellyanne Conway said “We don’t go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us.”
Empathy and humanity must be like radioactive Kryptonite to this mob. They don’t want to go anywhere near it.
If the immigrant narrative bothers them, I sure hope they’ve forgotten about Superman’s day job: reporter at The Daily Planet. Because the MAGAites generally aren’t too fond of journalists either.
Just like his alter ego Superman, Clark Kent is out to serve the greater good. He just does it in the newsroom.
While Superman has an array of powers – super strength, super hearing, can fly faster than the speed of sound, X-ray vision, laser heat through his eyes, a body that can deflect bullets and resist impacts, etc. – Kent is no slouch himself. You see, reporters possess their own extraordinary abilities. They can:
- Dig deeper than an excavator when mining for facts.
- See through layers of spin, doublespeak and bureaucratic blather.
- Hear and amplify the whispers of truth.
- Focus like a laser on context and nuance.
- Tune into a sixth sense for the stories that matter.
- Wear an impenetrable shell that withstands pushback and pressure from the powers that be.
- Shield the public from the fallout of misinformation and disinformation.
- Write at blinding speed – turning a blank page into a 1,000-word story by deadline (and not a minute sooner).
Not all heroes wear capes. Some use pens, notepads, voice recorders, cameras and laptops. There are real supervillains and archenemies out there. Strong and independent journalism can counter them.
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who created Superman, were deliberate in choosing reporter for Clark Kent’s job. At The Daily Planet, Kent could easily learn about crime or other threats in Metropolis, and respond quickly as Superman. Moreover, being a reporter fit with the ideals of Superman: truth and justice.
Gunn’s framing of Superman isn’t new. The character’s arc has long been seen as a metaphor for the immigrant experience. When he was a baby, Superman’s home planet of Krypton was destroyed. His father placed him in a ship and he escaped to Earth. DC Comics has even posted public service announcements for World Refugee Day calling Superman a refugee who stands up for what’s right.
We need more people who do. So here’s to Superman/Clark Kent, the immigrant reporter. And here’s to the journalist’s superpowers.
Stuart Foxman is a Toronto-based freelance writer, who helps clients’ products, services, ideas and organizations to come alive. Connect with me here on LinkedIn, check me out at foxmancommunications.com or follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @StuartFoxman where I share these blogs too. More original posts coming regularly about communications, information, motivation, writing, branding, creativity, media, marketing, persuasion, messages, learning, etc.
July 9, 2025