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| Mallary Jean Tenore |
By Mallary Jean Tenore, July 14,2011 Friday’s release of the final Harry Potter movie marks the beginning of the end for all the Muggles who have followed Harry’s adventures. And it marks a notable stopping point in journalists’ 13-year-long coverage of the Harry Potter books, movies and overall phenomenon. Throughout the years, journalists have stood in line at movie screenings and interviewed kids dressed as wizards. They’ve helped turn “Voldemort” into a moniker for people (like Rupert Murdoch) who have done wrong. They’ve suggested that Harry Potter has forever changed not just children’s literature,but the world. And they’ve criticized the series for creating “a nation of dweebs.” “What to do with a nation of little nerds running around with capes and wands?” critic Hank Stuever once asked. “Is there a coolness shortage coming?” Now that the final movie is coming out, some journalists are ready for it all to end. “I’m relieved,” said Washington Post Style writer Monica Hesse. “I know a lot
about the books, so I gravitate toward them, but after a while there’s only so much I can say. I’m glad they’re ending before I start repeating myself.” Avoiding repetition has perhaps been one of the most difficult aspects of covering the Harry Potter series. And the last movie in particular has posed a challenge for film critics who want to write compelling reviews even for the millions of fans who already know how the movie will end. Read Full : As Harry Potter series ends, journalists say they’ve covered just about every angle of it | Poynter.