Clark's journalistic ethics

[Johnny Nevada]

Hmm...

Recall a 70's Adventure Comics story where Superboy sees his arm (thanks to a villain) has become intangible, and notes his arm's "got as much weight to it as a politician's promise!"

There's also the final (unfinished) storyline in the 80s Superboy title where Pa Kent runs for Smallville's city council to prevent someone from building a shopping mall in Smallville, which would ruin the various local businesses including the Kent general store; Pa wond up dealing with various shady city council members who had some scheme behind wanting the mall approved for being built...

[NotSuper]

The Golden Age Superman was probably the most political version of the character. He distrusted politicians, businessmen, and felt an affinity towards the working class. Given the decade Superman was created in, this isn't surprising.

[Criadoman]

I can't believe that we're using "journalism" and "ethics" in the same sentence without "lack thereof..."  To this I speak of journalism in general.  Onto our hero...

But, there are instances where we see Clark become a hero as a journalist - particularly his Intergang expose-type pieces.  I think more recently, this is being taken into account - and establishing Clark as more a journalist/reporter type than not.

Overall, I don't particularly see the difficulty in Clark's vocation.  If one wants to learn about the "human experience" I suppose being in print media might be as good a field as any.  However, seeing Clark get personally involved in his stories like a bit of a Guardian Angel are always my more favorite stories. 

I would think that Clark would desire to play his role as more a mediocre reporter than anything, but his personal interest in Lois would keep him doing just enough to stay in the game and just pass by to remain on staff.

Yup - the Golden Age Supes was very involved in righting the wrongs wrought on the working class - understandably.  It's always funny to hear Superman referred to as a boy scout.  At his inception, he was just as capable of throwing a crook over the Empire State building playing volley ball with himself as he was just letting them freak cause their knife broke on his skin.

Jor-El the dissident.  That's funny too, - I've always seen him as a dissident.  It'd have to take someone who was definitely bucking the status quo to send one's baby son into outer space.

[TELLE]

There's also the final (unfinished) storyline in the 80s Superboy title where Pa Kent runs for Smallville's city council to prevent someone from building a shopping mall in Smallville,

I think Alan Moore ripped off this plot in Big Numbers...

It's such a meta idea: the 80s Superboy was all about fighting a rear-guard action against modernism and people who hated the very idea of Superboy.  In a way, fighting shopping malls is like continuing to publish a 50s-style Superboy comic.