Business reporter’s desk appears in “Contagion” movie

Benny Evangelista, a technology reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle, writes about how his desk has a role in the upcoming movie “Contagion” starring Jude Law.

Evangelista writes, “Director Steven Soderberg supposedly picked out my desk himself. I can see why – it sits smack dab in the middle of the newsroom, with a good view of the big Chronicle sign on the wall, perfect for a couple of setup shots.

“And frankly, my desk is in a perpetual state of clutter. I like it that way. I used to have a sign that read, ‘A Clean Desk is the Sign of a Sick Mind,’ but I can’t find it anymore.

“In short, it’s Hollywood’s stereotypical idea of a reporter’s desk.

“And this isn’t the first time my desk played a role in a movie.

“When I was still a business reporter for the Oakland Tribune, two production members for the 1999 crime drama “True Crime” visited the newsroom. They were immediately attracted to my desk, which at one point was so messy, the fire marshal ordered me to clean it up. They took numerous photos.

“The movie was filmed in another building, and Eastwood’s character – a womanizing Tribune reporter trying to clear a Death Row inmate – sat in a newsroom that looked far nicer than the real one.