History Series / TheNewsroom

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Both Will and Don are starting to emerge as this, especially after episode 5.

** Similarly, Charlie is a darker version of Leo [=McGarry=], his best friend, his greatest ally, his fiercest defender, and -- on occasion -- his harshest critic. Both of them also have drinking problems. He's also one of [[Series/SportsNight Isaac Jaffe]], in thst he's a network executive and also AFatherToHisMen.

** Don Quixote is frequently used throughout the series as justification for redoing the news on their "mission to civilize" and an example of what they should try to become. Don Quixote was insane and of course failed in his mission.

* ExecutiveMeddling: In-universe, the higher-ups of the network want to cut the wings of Will and Mac for being too outspoken against certain corporations and groups. This interference gets fought by Charlie, who acts as [[ProtectionFromEditors a protector]].

* BrainlessBeauty: [=MacKenzie=] insinuates that Will's dates are all these. The first one is actually a grad student, though only of physical therapy. The second one is a ''brain surgeon''.

** The series finale, "What Kind of Day Has it Been?" includes a series of flashbacks that set up the circumstances that led to the events of the series premier. [[spoiler: We see Charlie's growing disillusionment with Will becoming the 'Jay Leno' of news and how he hires Mac to revamp News Night, and how Mac went to the fateful talk at Northwestern and ensured that the 'Sorority Girl' got to ask her question about what makes America the greatest country in the world]].

* HowWeGotHere: The final episode, "What Kind of Day It Has Been," gives flashbacks leading up to the first scene of the first episode. A conversation between Jennifer Johnson and Mac while they are waiting on line at Northwestern shows Jennifer is intelligent but worried about the future. It actually gives some context to the first scene of the first episode, although the viewers would have to watch it again to get OnceMoreWithClarity.

* {{Retcon}}: In the series premier, "We Just Decided To", and subsequent episodes, it is strongly implied that Charlie and Mac are old friends who go way back, and that Mac used to work for ACN with Will. But the flashbacks in the series finale "What Kind of Day Has it Been?" reveal that [[spoiler: Charlie had only heard of Mac's previous relationship with Will, and first met her shortly before the events of the premier, in order to hire her]]. Moreover, previous episodes (most notably Season 2's "The Genoa Tip") revealed that Will began his journalistic career in ACN as a legal correspondent, before becoming the lead anchor after he successfully anchored on 9/11. But according to the aforementioned flashback sequence [[spoiler: Will worked at CNN at some point in the past, along with Mac]].

* BittersweetEnding: The series finale. [[spoiler: Charlie Skinner is dead, Pruitt still owns ACN, and the Newsroom team will have to fight an unending daily battle with him to retain the channel's journalistic integrity and uphold Charlie's legacy. But on the plus side, Will and Mac are going to have a child, Jim & Maggie and Don & Sloan's relationships are going great, Neal is back from his 'exile', Mac is promoted to Charlie's position, and the team has the chance to fight another day]].

* BittersweetEnding: The series finale. [[spoiler: Charlie Skinner is dead, Pruett still owns ACN, and the Newsroom team will have to fight an unending daily battle with him to retain the channel's journalistic integrity and uphold Charlie's legacy. But on the plus side, Will and Mac are going to have a child, Jim & Maggie and Don & Sloan's relationships are going great, Neal is back from his 'exile', Mac is promoted to Charlie's position, and the team has the chance to fight another day]].

* TotallyRadical: Deliberately invoked by Charlie to Lucas Pruit in "Contempt."

* {{Blackmail}}: In the Season 1 finale, [[spoiler:Charlie manages to save Will's neck and end TMI for good when he shows up with evidence about the Lansings' creating a ''News of the World''-hacking-like scandal. It's a gambit; the evidence is phoney, but the bluff is successful]]. In Season 2, it's revealed that [[spoiler: the tape was never recording, and Charlie has nothing on Reese. The consequences, if any, have yet to be seen]].

Not to be confused with the Canadian sitcom of the same title.

* TheCastShowoff: One of the main plots of "Bullies" hinges on Sloan Sabbith's fluency in Japanese. In real life, Creator/OliviaMunn was predominantly raised in UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}, and later minored in Japanese.
** Jeff Daniels and John Gallagher Jr really are playing "That's How I Got to Memphis" in the series finale.
*** They also sing "Sunshine (Go Away Today)" in episode 7.

** The overarching plot of the "Operation Genoa" plotine hinged completely on [[spoiler: Shep banking on ACN running a phony war crime story,]] even when the supposed definitive evidence was flimsy at best. The whole thing would have fallen apart if [[spoiler: Jerry had never doctored his interview with the three star general. /spoiler]]

* NotSoDifferent: In "Contempt," Hallie comes very close to comparing Jim to Will in terms of desperation to be liked by an audience he doesn't really respect. A bit of a headscratcher, as Jim isn't on-air talent.

* OpenSaysMe: Don tries to get into Reese's office so they can rescue a foreign correspondent taken by the Egyptian military. He bashes it with his shoulder and RealityEnsues when he collapses to the ground in pain. {{Subverted}}.

* {{GIFT}}: Will introduces an identification system for online commentaries because anonymity enables cowardice and wackiness. This apparently makes him the target of a credible death threat.

** Similarly, Charlie is a darker version of Leo [=McGarry=], his best friend, his greatest ally, his fiercest defender, and -- on occasion -- his harshest critic. Both of them also have drinking problems.

* GeniusBonus: While arguing with Don about whether she likes puzzles Sloan mentions "they often don't put in enough boxes for the word" to explain why she shouts at the New York Times crossword. In context this works a joke about Sloan getting the answer wrong, but the Times uses the "Rebus" in it's puzzles which is a square that contains multiple letters by design that is controversial among some crossword enthusiasts who view it as making the puzzle unnecessarily complicated

* ShowWithinAShow: ''News Night''. Internally known as ''News Night 2.0'' after it's revamped by [[InternalReformist Charlie, Will and Mackenzie]]. The follow-up show at 10pm hosted by Elliot also gets some attention.

* YourCheatingHeart: Nary a scene with Will or Mac goes by without a mention of Mac being the one who cheated on him.

* {{Adorkable}}: Maggie, Jim, and Neal. Sloan is definitely a nerd, but perhaps [[MsFanservice too hot]] to count.