6 Best Printing Press and Newsroom Typewriter Movies

By Vlad Zakh · April 8, 2026

The clacking typewriter and rumbling press symbolize the newsroom’s pursuit of truth on deadline. Spotlight exposes a Catholic Church cover-up, All the President’s Men has two reporters uncovering Watergate, and Absence of Malice has a reporter’s false story destroying a businessman’s reputation. Deadline - U.S.A., His Girl Friday and The Front Page round out the six.

Spotlight (2015)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 97% Metacritic 93

A team of investigative journalists exposes decades of institutional cover-up within the Catholic Church.

Directed by Tom McCarthy · 2h 09m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars124 wins & 146 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Absence of Malice (1981)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A reporter's careless story about a suspect in a disappearance wrecks an innocent man's life.

Directed by Sydney Pollack · 1h 56m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

All the President's Men (1976)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 95% Metacritic 84

Two Washington Post reporters slowly unravel the Watergate conspiracy.

Directed by Alan J. Pakula · 2h 18m · Rated PG

Won 4 Oscars17 wins & 23 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: TCM · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Deadline - U.S.A. (1952)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A crusading newspaper editor races to expose a crime boss before his paper is sold and shut down.

Directed by Richard Brooks · 1h 27m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Artiflix

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

His Girl Friday (1940)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A newspaper editor schemes to stop his star reporter ex-wife from remarrying and leaving journalism.

Directed by Howard Hawks · 1h 32m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, YouTube TV, MGM Plus, Pure Flix · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Front Page (1931)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A newspaper editor schemes to stop his star reporter from quitting to get married.

Directed by Lewis Milestone · 1h 41m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, Brew, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, Criterion Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Printing Press and Newsroom Typewriter Movies

Spotlight (2015)

Absence of Malice (1981)

All the President's Men (1976)

Deadline - U.S.A. (1952)

His Girl Friday (1940)

The Front Page (1931)

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