The new Netflix movie 'A Christmas Prince' has a very inaccurate portrayal of what a journalist is.
- Netflix's "A Christmas Prince" is the streaming service's attempt at a Christmas movie like those you see on Lifetime and Hallmark.
- It is silly, but fun.
- The most absurd aspect is the way journalists are portrayed, so we pointed out all the times when the protagonist violates the most basic ethical standards of journalism.
- Don't assume that journalism is what you see in "A Christmas Prince," please.
"A Christmas Prince" is Netflix's fun (and dumb) attempt at a Lifetime Christmas movie, but it represents journalism in a ridiculous way.
"A Christmas Prince" follows Amber, a young journalist in a dead-end job at a publication called Now Beat that is some sort of mix between Vice, Vogue, and Us Weekly. Amber, who loves Christmas, is sent to the fictional country of Aldovia the week of Christmas to report on the playboy Prince Richard, who looks a bit like Patrick Wilson.
Prince Richard must be coronated as king on Christmas Eve in place of his deceased father, but there are rumors that he will abdicate. You can figure out the rest.
"A Christmas Prince" is a terrible movie, but it's also great. It is so bad, and so predictable, yet impossible to stop watching. At a certain point you might wonder if "A Christmas Prince" is satirizing itself.
Sappy Christmas movies like those on Lifetime and Hallmark (and now on Netflix) follow a similar formula: A female protagonist (probably blonde) is really focused on her career. It's Christmas time, and she's working overtime despite the fact that it is Christmas! Then a man, whether he is an angel, an elf, Santa Claus, or a prince, saves the day, which is Christmas.
These admirably lazy movies always have a protagonist with a big-city career: journalism, advertising, personal shopper. I can't tell you if the portrayal of personal shoppers in these movies is accurate, but I can tell you that the portrayal of journalists is wrong, especially in "A Christmas Prince."
At a time when the President of the United States calls journalism "fake news" quite routinely, it's a bit disheartening to see such a misrepresentation of the profession from Netflix. But it's also funny.
As a guide for non-journalists, we highlighted all the instances in "A Christmas Prince" when its protagonist, Amber, who stresses that she wants to be a "real" journalist, lacks journalistic integrity. We also pointed out some other flaws in its portrayal of journalism.
Here are all of the problems with journalistic integrity in Netflix's "A Christmas Prince":
Vaughn, one of the writers at Now Beat magazine, uses a fake quote in his article.
Vaughn is a jerk. He is clearly an awful person, and an even worse journalist.
Within the first minute of the film, Vaughn displays our first of many journalist no-nos.
Vaughn was assigned a 300-word piece about a show at New York Fashion Week — which happens in September and February, never in December ("A Christmas Prince" takes place in December). Vaughn wrote 650 words, and Amber says he included a quote from a designer who was not "on the floor."
This suggests that Vaughn — who our dear protagonist clearly has some trouble with on a regular basis — quoted a person who was not at the event. Did he make up the quote? Probably. That's not ok, and neither is suggesting that someone was somewhere they were not.
Making up quotes gets you blacklisted from the industry. It doesn't just provoke an eye roll from someone editing your piece.
Amber sneaks into the royal private residence. Once there, she lies about her identity to pursue her story.
Journalists are not supposed to lie about their identity for a story. Journalists are also not supposed to be deceptive about their intentions because this can have an effect on their reporting.
There are some cases in which journalists go undercover. For example, women's activist Gloria Steinem went undercover as a Playboy bunny for her 1963 exposé on the treatment of women at Playboy Clubs. But generally you are supposed to identify yourself as a journalist when talking to someone for a story, especially when asked.
Amber lies her way into a private residence by pretending to be the new tutor for Princess Emily, all so she can write a story about Prince Richard. Amber is not exposing criminals or the mistreatment of human beings, and it seems like she is just breaking journalistic norms for personal gain.
And not only is she lying about who she is, she is also stealing the identity of the tutor (who will arrive herself soon), and teaching a child under false pretenses — while trying to get information out of her!
Amber goes to Aldovia without doing any research on the royal customs.
Amber didn't do her research.
Although Amber didn't plan on lying her way into the private home of the Aldovian royal family, it's clear that while she came prepared to meet Prince Richard, she did not do a simple Google of "Aldovian royal customs." When she meets the queen, she has no idea she is supposed to curtsy, and she doesn't know that she is supposed to address the princess as "Your Royal Highness."
You'd think a journalist would have done at least a quick Google search to find out more about royal customs in the country she's heading to, especially if she intends on meeting with a royal privately.
Amber's editor encourages her lie, and asks her to take video and audio of the family.
"Who cares?"
This is what Amber's editor says when Amber wonders if what she is doing is wrong and could result in jail time. Amber's editor also encourages her to get lots of video, audio, and pictures of the royals. "Whatever you can grab," she tells Amber. Recording laws vary by state (and country), but lying about your identity and secretly recording is certainly not usual journalistic practice.
Amber is very successfully blackmailed by Princess Emily.
"You write the truth about my brother, and I'll keep your secret," Princess Emily says.
Princess Emily catches on to Amber's scheme early on, and Amber quickly gives in to her demands. Amber was going to write about Prince Richard in a positive light anyway, but now she has promised to.
Journalists should not accept bribes, gifts, money, travel, food or anything in exchange for a story. Journalists should also never promise to cover something in a certain way, whether it be a person, a movie, a TV show, or a company.
Princess Emily might say she wants Amber to write the "truth," but she really means a flattering piece, and a journalist should never start haggling with sources over how to portray someone.
Amber steals very important documents from Prince Richard.
I won't share the entire plot of this movie here, because I believe everyone should watch it.
While spending some alone time with Prince Richard in a sexy cabin in the woods, Amber sneaks around when she is alone and finds documents that reveal very important information about his identity.
Does she finally tell him who she really is, and tell him about the very personal information that is in the documents? Heavens, no. She steals the documents — for the story!
Journalists might have information leaked to them from a source, but they should never commit theft of someone's private property to get information.
Amber builds an intimate, personal relationship with Prince Richard under false pretenses.
Yes, Amber is fooling everyone (except Princess Emily) at the palace in Aldovia. But she's fooling Prince Richard the most.
Amber's motivation to write a story that truthfully depicts Prince Richard (in a positive light) is fine, if that's the truth, but that doesn't make her way of doing it acceptable. When profiling anyone, from a celebrity to a CEO, it's a journalist's responsibility to let the subject know who they are, particularly so the subject can specify what is "on the record" and what is not.
Prince Richard has no idea he is being profiled, or that Amber is a journalist.
Amber kisses Prince Richard while she's secretly reporting on him.
Amber, no. This is unacceptable.
As ridiculous as this whole story is, it is true that love sometimes happens in the most unexpected places. But as a reporter doing a story on Prince Richard, Amber should not have accepted his advances.
A romantic relationship with a source or someone you are profiling is inappropriate for a journalist. Period. Romantic relationships are deeply personal, which will affect your story no matter what.
In the end, Amber quits her job at Now Beat magazine and sees her immoral editor for the monster she really is.
Amber sort of acknowledges her own mistakes, but most of the blame is placed on her editor, who refuses to publish her story about Prince Richard, who she accidentally fell in love with after a few days in Aldovia.
When Amber's editor reveals the sad news that her story about Richard (the love of her life!) will never see the light of day at Now Beat magazine, she quits.
That's showing some grit.
But then she turns around and independently publishes the piece — about a man who she's in love with, and clearly cannot be objective about. Perhaps she'll be a better memoirist than a journalist.