WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Action Comics #1028, by Brian Michael Bendis, John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Brad Anderson & Dave Sharpe and Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #12, by Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, Nathan Fairbairn & Clayton Cowles, on sale now
As it is in the real world, the future of print media is uncertain in the DC Universe. Over the past several months, The Daily Planet, the longtime home of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, has faced an existential crisis that almost ended the newspaper completely before returning it to familiar hands.
Perry White took a large cash buyout and sold the newspaper to Marisol Leone, not knowing that she was a major criminal ringleader in the Invisible Mafia. This large corporate buyer then tried to use the paper for her own purposes but didn't expect ethical reporters like Lois Lane to stand for what is right. And now, the paper has changed hands again, with Jimmy Olsen taking over as the new owner, and editor Perry White working for him.
However, Action Comics #1028 reveals that Olsen isn't letting the paper go on without White's leadership.
When Jimmy Olsen came in and let everyone know that he had purchased the Daily Planet. Everyone was shocked, including Superman and Lois. When Jimmy explained that he and Lex Luthor were from the same bloodline and shared the same fortune, they were shocked, but Olsen kept dropping bombshells.
After asking for a new office space, Olsen told Perry White, the Daily Planet's longtime editor, that he could have full-creative control of the paper. When White said Jimmy could have what he wanted since he was the new publisher of the paper, Olsen explained that he wanted White to have it. Olsen owns the Daily Planet, but he gave Perry White full creative control over the newspaper, answering to no one.
This all came out of the events in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #12, the last issue in that maxi-series. After Olsen eliminated his evil brother's threat, he learned he had none of his inheritance left. However, Olsen then learned he was part of the same bloodline as Lex Luthor, and had a say in how Luthor spent his family fortune. He went to Luthor and demanded that part of his portion of the fortune be used to purchase The Daily Planet. During the course of their encounter, Olsen made Luthor angry enough to admit to all his wrongdoing and recorded everything. The first newspaper printed after Olsen bought the Daily Planet was this story, with Luthor's confession, which made Perry White very proud.
For the past several months, The Daily Planet was already on shaky ground, thanks to the knowledge that Superman was on staff, making everything the Planet printed seem slanted. But when Lois learned its owner Marisol Leone was the Invisible Mafia's leader, she had no choice but to print the news. Lois is a reporter, first and foremost, even if it meant losing her job with the Daily Planet. She got the information from Lex Luthor and knew if she didn't print it, another paper would, and things would go down the same, except with her journalistic integrity going down with it. Luckily, Jimmy Olsen was there to save the day — and the Daily Planet — without Superman's help.
Now, Perry White and Jimmy Olsen are partners at the Daily Planet. Per Olsen's words, he will likely stay out of the way and let White do his job, already promising his long-time boss full creative control. At the same time, Olsen will probably still want to get out there and find stories, snap photos and do what he has loved for his entire life. Since the FBI has promised to leave them alone to go after the Invisible Mafia instead, it's a new day for journalism in Metropolis, as Jimmy Olsen is letting Perry White steer the storied newspaper into a slightly clearer future.