History Characters / TheNewsroom

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: A benevolent version. Will is consistently shown to have connections with people in very high places that allow him to bypass red-tape and bullshit to get critical things done. He has a photo of him and UsefulNotes/BarackObama on his desk/shelf, Joe Biden personally emails him to leak [[spoiler: the execution of Osama bin Laden]] (Will casually mentions he used to play softball with the man), and when [[spoiler: Khaled is kidnapped]] he's asked to "contact his highest source at the State Department", and when that fails to call "her husband". These people are implied to be then-Secretary of State UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton and her husband, former-President UsefulNotes/BillClinton.

* WhatTheHellHero: Will is called out by several people on how he treated the college sophomore during his rant in the pilot episode. He eventually realizes that his pursuit for the truth sometimes causes him to be callous to people who don't deserve it.

* RecurringExtra: The [=APs=] (Kendra, Gary, Tess, Tamara, and Martin) and the Tech Crew (Herb, Jake, and Joey) don't do much onscreen other than their jobs and a few witty one-liners.

* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: She [[spoiler: assaults the ex-boyfriend who posted naked pictures of her online.[[note]]It's known as "revenge porn", and it is considered a form of abuse and a crime today.[[/note]] ]] In all fairness, he did deserve it.

* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: She [[spoiler: assaults the ex-boyfriend who posted naked pictures of her online.]] Though in all fairness he probably did deserve it.

* ThreeAmigos: Will, [=MacKenzie=], and Charlie. They're the main decision makers of the team, all three of them are [[LargeHam Large Hams]], HotBlooded, refer to themselves as Literature/DonQuixote analogs, and have many, many mutual [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons]]. They take turns disagreeing and reining each other in, but god help you if and when they all agree on something.

* TheDitz: Probably the biggest one in the team, considering she thought Creator/ChristianBale was an Australian actress who appeared in Franchise/SpiderMan. She's still a competent newsperson, though.

* CastCalculus
** TheHero: Will
** TheLancer: [=MacKenzie=]
** TheSmartGuy: Sloan
** TheBigGuy: Jim
** TheChick: Maggie
** SixthRanger: Don
** TagalongKid: Neal
** TheMentor: Charlie

* NamesTheSame: Gets this a lot. [[invoked]]

* HateSink: From is debut episode, there's almost nothing endearing attributed to Jerry. He immediately starts trying to make a name for himself at ACN by pushing his own agenda. He butts heads with the other staff constantly and talks down to naysayers in the Red Team meetings. Then, perhaps most egregiously, [[spoiler: he doctors interview footage for the Operation Genoa story which destroys ACN's reputation.]] To put a cap on it all, he sues ACN for making him a "scape goat", despite the fact that the entire [[spoiler: Genoa fiasco]] was his fault.

* {{Expy}}: Will is an [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness eloquent news anchor]] who tasks himself with [[RantInducingSlight lambasting idiot Republicans]] while trying to use his show [[TheFettered to inform and inspire the public]] but is [[ScrewedByTheNetwork in trouble with the news company he works in]] and has a HairTriggerTemper that has given him a reputation for [[JerkassWithAHeartOfGold alienating friends and co-workers]]. If this sounds familiar, it's only because Creator/AaronSorkin did his initial research for this show by being an off-camera guest at ''Series/CountdownWithKeithOlbermann''.

* RantInducingSlight: Has a tendency to go off on one of these. Peeves include gossip columnists, inane Twitter messages, and other people in the path of his mission to civilize. Usually, Charlie has to cool him down. Mac sometimes tries, but often gets caught up debating him. Either that, or she's the cause.
** Not to mention that he opened the season and began his crusade with a particularly [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome epic rant.]]

* RantInducingSlight: She tends to launch into one whenever her idealism is countered by pragmatism or stupidity, such as when she learns how Nancy Grace emotionally manipulates viewers by using planted 'experts' and editing tricks. She also has an epic meltdown after being emotionally tormented for weeks by Will, who then refused to cave into the Republicans because they demanded Will to drop Mac for their dumbed-down debate.
--> "'''WHO ARE YOU?!''' I don't know where your head is at any given moment! I am this close to losing it! I THINK I HAVE! I THINK IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW! I WILL NOT SETTLE DOWN!! [[BreathlessNonSequitur I should though... I should settle down...]]"

* NaiveNewcomer
* RantInducingSlight: Went completely ballistic after being splashed with water by a ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' tour bus and hearing the tour guide say that the characters let viewers 'live the typical life of a single woman in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity', which launched her into a tirade about how she, being a typical single woman in New York City, was [[TakeThat not like the women in Sex and the City,]] [[spoiler: and then confessed that she had fallen for Jim. [[ItMakesSenseInContext And Jim was on the bus]]]].

* RantInducingSlight: He even works into the mood all by himself.
--> "They don't have a job for her in Atlanta, DC or New York? [=MacKenzie=]?! Line up any ten people eight of them'll tell you she's the best EP in the business, the other two would be STUPID!!"

* HollywoodNerd

* HollywoodNerd: Is a geek in-universe, but scores double points due to being played by geek sex icon Creator/OliviaMunn.

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:In the first season finale. In Season 2, [[spoiler: she actually sleeps with Will, even after she knew he and [=MacKenzie=] still had feelings for each other.]]

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Will's infamous answer to the question "What Makes America the Greatest Country in the World?" where he refuses to give a genuine answer until he his prodded and then inspired by Mackenzie assisting him. He then goes on a massive takedown of the question where he even cites statistics to back up his claim. In a direct parallel to the answer he gave, Will can be a great and powerful source of journalistic good, but he has become complacent and needs help from important people in his life to get him back there.

* NotSoDifferent: He clashes with Will a lot on how to deliver the news, but they're both dedicated newsmen who are caring, if a little callous, to the people around them, and they annoy the hell out of the people working with them because they're pushy and demanding in their quest to do good news. They both also get better at it eventually and are extremely loyal to the people they work with.

* BullyingTheDragon: "[[NotSoDifferent Hey]], [[TooDumbToLive we're]] [[BerserkButton journalists]]."

* HateSink: From is debut episode, there's almost nothing endearing attributed to Jerry. He immediately starts trying to make name for himself at ACN by pushing his own agenda, butts heads with the other staff constantly, talks down to naysayers in the Red Team meetings and, most egregiously, [[spoiler: he doctors interview footage for the Operation Genoa story which destroys ACN's reputation.]] To put a cap on it all, he sues ACN for making him a "scape goat", despite the fact that the entire [[spoiler: Genoa fiasco]] was his fault.

* TheResenter: See JerkassHasAPoint. Don believes he could have done a "great" news show similar to Newsnight 2.0. But he can't since he doesn't have Will's autonomy. Jim making fun of him for doing stories about the McRib doesn't help matters. He gets over it as the first season progresses.

!!'''Reese Lansing''' [-(Creator/ChrissMessina)-]

!!'''Hallie Shea''' [-(Grace Gummer)-]

* BrainlessBeauty: She has serious worries that she is this, as she has been dating guys who make her feel stupid. [[spoiler: After their breakup in a TheBusCameBackMoment, Jim points out to Lisa that he never saw her this way.]]

* BrainlessBeauty: She has serious worries that she is this, as she has been dating guys who make her feel stupid. Even so, she is no match for Jim in terms of intellect. [[spoiler: Not that is stops him from sleeping with her.]]

* {{Hypocrite}}: Lisa conveniently forgets that she was more-or-less aware of the entire situation between Jim and Maggie before she got involved, later tried to [[spoiler: leave the situation once she realized several additional particularities, and then voluntarily re-entered the situation]]. Then again, [[spoiler:Maggie was her best friend before [[YourCheatingHeart she made out with Lisa's boyfriend]], neither Maggie nor Jim told Lisa about it, and Maggie lied to Lisa's face when she felt that something was off between her and Jim and told her it was nothing]].

* TheReveal: The first two episodes make it seem Reese only has a job in the ratings department. We don't find out he is the President of AWM (and the CEO's son) until episode three.

* {{Adorkable}}

* BettyAndVeronica: He's the {{Adorkable}} Betty to JerkWithAHeartOfGold Don's Veronica for Maggie's Archie, [[spoiler:until Don and Maggie break up in Season 2]]. He's also the Archie to Maggie (Betty) and Lisa (Veronica) in Season 1, [[spoiler:and in Season 2, Hallie takes over the Veronica role after Lisa breaks up him]].

* {{Adorkable}}

* {{Adorkable}}

* BlackBestFriend: While not exactly 'black' or even a 'best friend', he is seen as the nearest thing to a close personal friend that Jim has.
* BollywoodNerd

* {{Adorkable}} But she works it.