Daily Planet
From Smallville Wiki
| Daily Planet | |
|---|---|
|
Newspaper | |
 "Straight from the Source" | |
| Field | Print media |
| Industry | Mass communication |
| Management | Lex Luthor (CEO) Pauline Kahn (Editor in Chief) |
| Location | Metropolis |
| Status | Operational |
In 2007, Lex Luthor revealed that he had purchased the Daily Planet (Gemini). He has already started to exert editorial control over the paper. He hand-picked Lois Lane to write a flattering exposé about him, but when she instead threatened to detail his numerous crimes, he killed the story. He monitors email and data communication of his employees. He also fired several staff members, including Chloe Sullivan after she lied to him about a key that Lionel had left for her. It is unclear if the Daily Planet's reputation will survive his ownership.
The Daily Planet building's most distinguishing and famous feature is the enormous globe that sits on top of the building. The Planet accepts four high school students as summer interns from the state.
Contents |
[edit] Staff
Lois Lane has been a reporter at the Daily Planet for a year. She was hired away from the Metropolis Inquisitor by Grant Gabriel. (Kara) She and Grant began a relationship while he was her manager, but Lois never learned his true identity and apparently is not aware of his death.(Blue) While dating Grant, Lois reported on exclusive assignments all over the country.[1] Lois has not been shown to have anything published yet, but she puts a great deal of focus on the goings-on of Lex Luthor, and Lex uses a variety of methods to monitor, control or thwart her investigations. In addition to the exposé,[2] she reported on Lex's near-death experience in Detroit, a story which he also likely prevented from being published. (Fracture) She also helped Jimmy Olsen investigate the death of Patricia Swann (Veritas) and is currently focusing on Lex Luthor's frequent trips to the Arctic Circle. (Arctic)
Jimmy Olsen is employed at the Daily Planet as a photographer. (Zod) He interned at the paper while in high school. However shortly after he was hired, he was demoted to photographic archives. (Fallout) When he helped solve the case of who shot Lana Luthor, he was promoted and sent on assignment. (Noir) Recently, he has been partnering on investigations with Lois Lane. He investigated the death of Patricia Swann and is working on his first article, detailing the mysterious etchings and drawings of the Kawatche Caves. (Quest)
Perry White is a reporter at the Daily Planet who wrote an article on Lionel Luthor's conviction in September of 2004. (Gone) He had previously worked at the Daily Planet where he was nominated for multiple Pulitzer prizes, before being forced out for working on a story about Lionel Luthor. (Perry)
[edit] Former Staff
Chloe Sullivan was an intern at the Planet twice during her high school years. Her sophomore year, she was picked after writing an essay on her experience of being kidnapped. (Obscura). Her junior year, Lionel Luthor arranged for her to have a column, called "Sullivan's Travels", after she agreed to investigate Clark Kent. He later withdrew the favor when he believed she betrayed him. He also blacklisted her name, hindering her efforts to realize her dream to write for the paper. Chloe attempted to write under the name "Lois Lane," but her editor was killed before he published any of her articles. As a college student, Chloe was hired by Pauline Kahn as an intern at the Daily Planet. (Thirst) She began writing obituaries and classified advertisements and answering the 24-hour news hotline. She then wrote small general-interest articles. She had at least four major stories published[3] before she was fired by Lex (Descent).
Grant Gabriel, an unknowing clone of Julian Luthor, was a managing editor at the Daily Planet before Lex had him murdered. (Kara)
Max Taylor edited Chloe's column before being killed by his hypnotized assistant. (Delete)
Andrea Rojas worked at the Planet as a secretary, before quitting to become the masked superhero Angel of Vengeance. (Vengeance)
Linda Lake was a gossip columnist who worked at the Daily Planet. She used her ability to transform her body into water to gather gossip and print it in her columns. (Hydro)
Dinah Lance was a conservative talk show host who worked at the Daily Planet. She is also the alter-ego of the superheroine Black Canary. It is unclear if she quit her job to join Oliver Queen's team of superheroes, or if she still works at the Planet.
[edit] Physical Layout
The Daily Planet is based in a tall skyscraper building. The top reporters at the paper work on higher level floors in the building; new reporters literally start in the basement of the building and work their way up.
Top reporters, columnists and editors like Grant Gabriel and Linda Lake also get their own offices, while junior reporters and photographers work in exposed desks in an open plan layout. Owner and publisher Lex Luthor also has a large private office at the Planet.
Currently, Lois and Jimmy Olsen both work in the open plan "basement" at the Daily Planet (Chloe used to work here as well, before she was fired). There is a supply closet near the basement. A large staircase in the center of the building goes all the way from the basement to the roof (Gemini). There is also a bank of elevators that connects the floors in the building.
Some floors appear to be dedicated to specific departments. For example, there is an entire floor dedicated to political correspondence, where political correspondents like Brennan worked (Noir).
There is an enormous walk-in freezer in the building, presumably servicing the Daily Planet kitchen. Lois and Jimmy were locked in the freezer by Lex Luthor's assistant, Gina (Descent).
[edit] In the Comics
In the comics, the Daily Planet will be the place of business for:
- Lois Lane - Top ace reporter, partner and wife of Clark Kent
- Clark Kent - Mild-mannered reporter/Superman, partner and husband of Lois Lane
- Jimmy Olsen - Photographer, Superman's pal
- Perry White - Editor-in-chief
It will also deal with many tribulations of ownership, and pass through the hands of Franklin Stern, Lex Luthor, and (as in current comics) Bruce Wayne.
[edit] Quotes
- Lex: You're no longer writing my exposé.
- Lois: Nuh-uh. You'll have to take that up with my boss.
- Lex: I am your boss. Merry Christmas, Lois. I just bought the Daily Planet.
[edit] Notes
- There is no "The" in "Daily Planet". Proper usage is either the Daily Planet or the Planet, but never The Daily Planet or The Planet.
- The Marine Building in Vancouver stands in as the Daily Planet building in Smallville. It has 22 floors and at 97.8m, was the tallest skyscraper in the city until 1939. [1]
[edit] References
- ↑ She was covering a story in New York City (Fierce), and in Los Angeles reporting on celebrity DUIs (Cure).
- ↑ Lois' exposé can be read here.
- ↑ She detailed Mr. Lyon's kidnapping ring (Exposed), the death of Graham Garrett, which was on the front page (Fade), Jed McNally's illegal migrant workers (Subterranean), and the Weather Girls (Fierce).
