HISTORY/COMMUNICATION 353: We Interrupt this Broadcast! America

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HISTORY/COMMUNICATION 353We Interrupt this
Broadcast!Americas Top News StoriesSince 1945
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Getting Organized
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Does Journalism have a History?

• JOURNALISM TODAY
• Shapes Journalism TOMORROW
• Technologies
• Education
• Attitudes values
• Example Internets impact on journalist practice

• TODAY ? TOMORROW

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Does Journalism have a History?

• JOURNALISM TODAY
• Has been shaped by journalism Yesterday
• Examples
• Technology changes
• Story impact Vietnam, Watergate, on todays
  senior journalists

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Does Journalism have a History?

• In fact we wont be able to understand YESTERDAY
  until TOMORROW!

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Our aim understand this dynamic relationship, in
US Journalism, since 1945
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LEAP IN!The US News Media in 1945
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1. The US News Media in 1945 was a HUGE INDUSTRY

• Examples
• Heart Empire
• Scripps
• -Howard
• Time-Life

William Randolph Hearst
Henry Luce, founder of Time
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2. The News Business is a Business Constant
debate quality journalism v. mass sales

• Quality journalism The NY Times

• Mass journalism The NY Daily News

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3. This Huge Industry was Vastly Influential

• War of the Worlds
• (1938)

• FDRs Fireside Chats

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4. Reporters had emerged as a distinct type

• Working class White Male
• Aggressive
• Specialties crime, politics, sports, war
• Truth getting the story
• Speed fast! (scoops!)

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5. Women and minorities are beginning to play a
crucial role

• Carl Rowan

• Martha Gellhorn

b. 1908 1930s pioneering woman report WWII war
reporter
b. 1925 WWII veteran 1950s reporter for
Minneapolis Tribune
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6. The Newspaper is King
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7. But E-Media, especially the Radio, is
catching up fast

• 1920 KDKA Pittsburgh, broadcasts election
  returns
• 1930s Golden Age of Radio

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8. And VISUAL journalism is becoming hugely
popular

• Robert Capa

• Margaret Bourke-White

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9. In 1941, the News Media Patriotically went to
war

• 1600 Reporters go to war
• Ernie Pyle
• THE most popular reporter in WWII
• Focus the ordinary soldier
• Style reports as short-stories

• Tone Win-the-War Patriotism

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10. A Whole Generation of Reporters is trained in
the War

• EDWARD R. MURROW the Murrow Boys
• Radio journalists
• Hard-hitting, investigative reporting