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The Daily Planet is one of Metropolis's oldest and most respected newspapers.[1] As of 2005, Pauline Kahn was the Editor-in-Chief. By 2010, the Daily Planet was conducting a global search for a new Editor-In-Chief. Franklin Stern was Lois and Clark’s managing editor, during which time he briefly assumed Tess Mercer’s role as publisher.[2] The paper's slogan is "Straight from the Source." [3]

In 2007, Lex Luthor revealed that he had purchased the Daily Planet.[4] He quickly 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.[5] He monitored email and data communication of his employees.[6] He also fired several staff members, including Chloe Sullivan after she lied to him about a key that Lionel had left for her.[7]

Following the disappearance of Lex, Tess Mercer took over ownership of the Planet. Tess then asked Oliver if he wanted to invest his own money into LuthorCorp in a merger deal with his own company, Queen Industries. He agreed and they announced the deal at a LuthorCorp board meeting to the dismay of Lex who used Winslow Schott to plant a bomb to kill Oliver and Tess. Tess wasn't present but Oliver suffered some minor injuries before getting revenge by killing Lex with a bomb built by Toyman. Through this deal, Oliver became a substantial shareholder at the paper.

Franklin Stern was an editor who apparently took over publishing duties for a brief period while Tess went into hiding from the covert government agency known as Checkmate.

Lex later resurfaced and killed Tess, thus reclaiming everything that he had previously owned including the Daily Planet. However sometime later Lex sold the company because he felt that the newspaper has become more tabloid than news source.[8] It is unknown whom Lex sold the newspaper to.

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.[9]

Physical Appearance[]

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The Daily Planet upwards shot

Outdoors
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City skyline view of Meteropolis and the Daily Planet

The Daily Planet is based in a tall skyscraper building, located at address 355, 1000 Broadway in Metropolis, Kansas,[10] next door to LuthorCorp Plaza [11] and across the street from the Ace of Clubs.[12]

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The Daily Planet from a skyline shot looking down

The Daily Planet rooftop overlooks the entire city of Metropolis.

Indoors
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Front entrance

Wikia SV - Planet Sixth Floor

Planet building sixth floor

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The higher levels of Daily Planet.

Junior reporters and photographers at the Planet work in exposed desks in a basement bullpen. For several years, Lois and Clark worked in the open plan "basement" at the Daily Planet (Chloe used to work here as well, before she was fired.)

There are several other indoor spaces at the Planet:

  • The top reporters/senior reporters at the paper work on higher level floors in the building.[13]
  • Owner Tess Mercer also had a large private office at the Planet.
  • Top reporters, columnists and editors like Grant Gabriel and Linda Lake—and later, Lois and Clark—also get their own offices.
  • 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, Noir).
  • There is also a bank of elevators that connects the floors in the building.
  • 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)
  • Some floors appear to be dedicated to specific departments. For example, the entire sixth floor is dedicated to political correspondence, where political correspondents like Brennan worked (Noir).

Known Staff[]

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Lois joined the Planet staff in 2007.

Current Staff
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Clark joined the Planet staff in 2008

  • Clark Kent joined the Daily Planet staff in 2008, working at the desk opposite Lois Lane.[16] After about four years at the paper, Clark was promoted out of the bullpen, and into an office of his own.[17]
  • Perry White joined the Daily Planet staff around 2003, after a career slump and severe alcoholism.[20] In 2010, White was assigned as editor for the Planets' foreign offices in Britain.[21] By 2013, White had become the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet.[18]
  • Franklin Stern was an editor, who also assumed Tess Mercer’s duties as publisher during the period she went on the run from Checkmate.[22] While Tess returned as publisher the following year and maintained the position until her death; Stern either remained in the Editor position, or was reinstated following her death. [23]
  • Cat Grant is a reporter at the Daily Planet who was hired away from her local newspaper.[24]
  • Randall Brady became the City Editor for the Daily Planet following the death of Grant Gabriel at a steak house. In an alternate timeline, he promoted Lois Lane after the story she wrote on Clark Kent's alien heritage and time as the Red-Blue Blur. He was infected by the zombie virus, but later cured by an antidote formed out of Clark's blood. It is unknown if Randall still works at the newspaper. On Valentine's Day 2010, Lois answered to an editor named Buddy Brown.[25] When Clark Kent met Franklin Stern, a short time later, he mentioned that the newspaper had been going through a lot of editors lately.[22]
  • Jeff Hage started out as an intern at the Daily Planet, around 2008,[26] before being hired as a reporter for the paper in 2011.[27]
  • Steve Lombard is a reporter for the Daily Planet.[28] In 2011, a Steve Lombard was said to have left the paper for a job at the Daily Star.[15] However, it is unknown if that was another employee with the same or similar name, or if he simply returned to the Daily Planet.
  • Colin is an employee of the Daily Planet.[29] Though, it is unclear if he still works there, having not been seen since early 2009.[30]
  • Buddy Brown is an editor for the Daily Planet.[25] Though, it is unclear if he still works there. When Clark Kent met Franklin Stern, he mentioned that the newspaper had been going through a lot of editors lately.[22]
  • Ted Biddleman is a reporter for the Daily Planet.[33] Though, it is unclear if he still worked there, after Lex Luthor bought the newspaper in late 2007, and fired a lot of employees.[34]
Alumni
Sub6

Chloe receives a by-line in the paper in Subterranean.

  • Chloe Sullivan was briefly an intern at the Planet during her high school years.[35] In 2003, Lionel Luthor arranged for her to get her own column, but then had her fired within a few months.[36] In college, Chloe was re-hired as an intern and had articles published.[33][37] She was fired by Lex Luthor in 2008.[38]
  • Andrea Rojas worked at the Planet as an intern, to gain information for her activities as a vigilante. After she murdered Snake and attempted to murder Lionel Luthor, Andrea emptied her desk and fled Metropolis.[39]
  • Dinah Lance was a conservative talk show host who worked at the Daily Planet.[40] She left the paper and moved to Platinum Flats.[41]
  • John Corben was brought into the Daily Planet as a replacement for Clark Kent, but involuntarily vacated the role after becoming a cyborg.[42]
  • Grant McKinnon was the Managing Editor. Chloe took calls for him during her internship.[43]
  • Ron Black was an Ace Reporter. He was aided by Chloe in finding a connection between a mob boss and CEO of a company called Intertech [43]
  • Tess Mercer succeeded Lex Luthor as the owner, and appointed herself as publisher to maintain a watchful eye on Clark Kent. [44]
Deceased Staff
  • Max Taylor edited Chloe's column before being killed by his hypnotized assistant.[36]
  • T. Brennan was the chief political correspondent for the Daily Planet. He was shot and killed by hired killers trying to block the story from being published.[47]
  • Henry James Olsen worked as an on-location photographer. He quit his job in 2009.[49] He was later murdered by David Bloome.[50]

Appearances[]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 #
Season 2 - - - - - - - - - - - X - - - - - - - - - - - 1
Season 3 X - - - - - - - - - X - - - - - - - - - - - 2
Season 5 - - - - X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X - X X 17
Season 6 X X - X X X X X X X X - X X - - X - - X X X 16
Season 7 - X X X X X X X X X X - X X X X X X - X 17
Season 8 X X X X X X X X X - X - X X X X X X X - X X 19
Season 9 X X X X - X - X X - X X X X X X X - X - X X 17
Season 10 X X X X X - - - X X X X X X - X X X - X X X 18
Total 107

Gallery[]

Daily Planet staff as of 2018
Daily Planet staff as of 2011
Former Daily Planet staff

In the Comics[]

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The Daily Planet team

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Daily Planet in the comics

In the comics, the Daily Planet will be the place of business for:

The Planet's history stretches back for generations. According to Post-Crisis continuity, the first issue of the Daily Planet was an American Revolution-era news gazette, and the first issue featured an interview with George Washington.

In the late 1990s, Lex Luthor bought the Planet and threatened to shut it down. Lois convinced Lex to sell it back to Perry. It came at a price; although Lex sold it back to Perry for only $1, he stipulated to Lois that at some point in the future he would demand that she kill a story of his choosing. Years later when Lois attempted to publish proof of President Luthor's wrongdoings during the Imperiex War, he cashed in this favor to kill the story. However, Clark managed to ensure the story went public anyway, and with the help of Batman fought a battlesuit-clad Lex in the streets of Metropolis. The events of this arc led to Lex's impeachment and removal from the White House.

It also dealt with many tribulations of ownership, and passes through the hands of Franklin Stern, Perry White, Lex Luthor (as in Season Seven of Smallville), and in current comic continuity to Bruce Wayne who is the owner of the Daily Planet.

In the New 52, Daily Planet has being bought by Morgan Edge and merged with the Galaxy Broadcasting System. It is revealed that Clark Kent begins his journalism career in Metropolis roughly six years before Galaxy Broadcasting merges with the Daily Planet. Along with being a writer for The Daily Star, partly because editor George Taylor was a friend of his adopted parents, Clark is an active blogger who speaks against political corruption and reports on the troubles of every day citizens who are not often the focus of news media. While working at the Star, Clark meets Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen and the two become friends despite working at rival publications. Clark is also a great fan of Lois Lane's work at the Daily Planet, eventually meeting her through Jimmy. Months after Superman makes his public debut, Clark leaves The Daily Star on good terms and accepts a position at The Daily Planet.

After the merger with Galaxy Broadcasting, Lois was promoted to run the TV division, with Clark acting as an on-the-scene reporter for the TV division. Clark is later assigned the "Superman beat." But after rising tension between himself and Lois, as well as with Galaxy Broadcasting head Morgan Edge, Clark concludes that the Daily Planet is now more concerned with ratings and internet page views than actual journalism. He quits and goes off to begin an independent, internet news site with fellow journalist Cat Grant. Though Lois and Jimmy consider this to be a bad and risky decision, they continue to act as Clark's friends and confidants, offering aid when they can.

Since then, Perry White has asked Clark to return back to the Daily Planet but Clark hasn't accepted his offer yet.

Currently, besides Kent and Grant, who have their own blog and do not work at the Planet anymore, the rest of the staff from the Pre-Flashpoint timeline including White, Lane, Olsen, Lombard and Troupe all still work there. Moreover a new addition to the staff is Jackee Winters, a political correspondent.

Other Versions of Daily Planet[]

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.
Season Seven, Gemini

Notes[]

Planet-wall

Daily Planet's computers' wallpaper

Planet Keychain

Daily Planet keychain

  • There is no "The" in "Daily Planet". In the newspaper itself, proper usage is either the Daily Planet or the Planet, but never The Daily Planet or The Planet.[51] The logo above the front door says "Daily Planet". Despite this, the globe at the top of the building clearly says "The Daily Planet" [52] and the closed captions for episodes show THE DAILY PLANET or THE PLANET italicized all together.[53]
  • Seven members of the staff have been killed while employed by the Daily 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.[54]

See also[]

References[]

  1. In Season 7's Kara, Grant Gabriel tells Lois that, "This is the Daily Planet, read in virtually ever country across the globe. We have no rival."
  2. Pauline was Editor-in-Chief during Thirst, when Chloe applied to work at the Planet by writing a story about a sorority of vampires.
  3. "Straight from the Source" is painted on the side of Daily Planet trucks in Nicodemus.
  4. Gemini
  5. Gemini
  6. Hero
  7. Descent
  8. Guardian
  9. Chloe states this as she is preparing to interview for one of the positions in Crush.
  10. The Daily Planet building's address is given as 1000 Broadway in Season 6's Noir
  11. Clark establishes this in Insurgence. Additionally, when Lex pushed Lionel out of the window of his LuthorCorp office, Jimmy Olsen was able to take a picture from inside of the Daily Planet
  12. In Arctic, Jimmy Olsen meets Lois Lane at the Club and remarks that it is across the street from the Daily Planet
  13. As seen in Thirst, Odyssey, and Homecoming.
  14. Kara
  15. 15.0 15.1 Booster
  16. Odyssey
  17. Smallville: Continuity Issue 4
  18. 18.0 18.1 Salvation
  19. 19.0 19.1 Finale, Part 2
  20. Perry
  21. Valkyrie
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 Charade
  23. Smallville: Alien
  24. Shield
  25. 25.0 25.1 Persuasion
  26. Hex
  27. Detective
  28. Smallville: Chaos
  29. Cure
  30. Bride
  31. 31.0 31.1 Conspiracy
  32. Beacon
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 Thirst
  34. Persona
  35. Heat
  36. 36.0 36.1 Delete
  37. Exposed
  38. Descent
  39. Vengeance
  40. Siren
  41. Prophecy
  42. Metallo
  43. 43.0 43.1 What I Did On My Summer Vacation
  44. Plastique
  45. Hydro
  46. Infamous
  47. Noir
  48. Identity
  49. Turbulence
  50. Doomsday (episode)
  51. In the Season One Pilot, the Daily Planet frontpage article about "QUEEN INDUSTRIES CEO MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD" is shown under a Daily Planet logo without the article "The". [1] In Season Eight's Identity, Jimmy Olsen's article about the Good Samaritan who is "Faster than a Speeding Bullet" is shown under the Daily Planet logo on the newspaper's frontpage, without the article "The" in front of it.
  52. This can be clearly seen in Instinct.
  53. This can be seen in many episodes, including Season Eight's Identity
  54. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Building

External links[]



Luthors in Smallville
Main Lionel LuthorLex LuthorTess Mercer
Earth-2 Earth-2 : Lionel LuthorClark LuthorTess Luthor
Relatives LillianJulianLucasLachlanEliza Luthor
Clones Grant GabrielAdrian CrossLX-13Conner Kent
Ex-Wives Helen BryceDesirée AtkinsLana Lang
Companies LuthorCorpLexCorpDaily PlanetQueen IndustriesPreClox
Lois Lane in Smallville
Family Lanes (Sam, Ella and Lucy Lane ) • Chloe SullivanMoira SullivanGabe Sullivan
'Ships Martha and JonathanChloe SullivanOliver QueenGrant GabrielClark KentJimmy OlsenLana LangLex LuthorTess MercerZod
Work TalonMetropolis InquisitorDaily PlanetJustice League
Destiny Lois's destinyClark and Lois' destinyLois's vision
Other Lois's fightsLois' Rules of ReportingLois's costumes and disguisesNear-death experiencesOld BlueChlois theoryEpisodes
Clark Kent in Smallville
Family Kents: Martha , JonathanHouse of El: Jor-El (ai, clone), Lara, Kara, Zor-El, Conner Kent
Relationships ChloePeteOliverEmilJohn JonesLex (destiny) • LionelBrainiacJimmyTessDavisZod
Romantic interests Chloe SullivanLana LangKyla WillowbrookAlicia BakerLois Lane (destiny)
Work Smallville TorchJustice LeagueDaily Planet
Details Powers (loss, vulnerabilities, training) • secretattireglassesbloodfighting style
Homes Krypton (knowledge) • Kent Farm (house, cellar, barn, loft, truck) • FortressApartment (telescope)
Other KalKal-El (ship) • Superman (suit, crest) • aliasesdestinyvisionNo tights, no flightsNear-death experiencesEpisodes
Places in Smallville
Smallville Crater LakeHigh SchoolKawatche CavesKent Farm (barn, house, storm cellar) • Luthor MansionLuthorCorp Fertilizer Plant Number ThreeMain Street (Beanery) • Medical CenterMiller's FieldTalon (apartment, basement)
Metropolis Ace of ClubsBelle ReveCadmus LabsC&L's apartmentDaily PlanetIsis FoundationGeneral HospitalLuthorCorp Plaza (Level 33.1) • Queen TowerSuicide SlumsSummerholt InstituteUniversityWatchtower
Other Black CreekCheckmate CastleD.E.O. headquartersEgyptFortress of SolitudeGotham City (Arkham Asylum, Batcave, Wayne Manor) • GranvilleS.T.A.R. LabsStar CityThemyscira
Planets AlmeracApokolipsEarth-1Earth-2Earth-MajesticKrypton (Kandor, New Krypton, Phantom Zone) • MarsOa
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