Midterm Reflection

When I first signed up for this class, I expected a dry timeline of dates, names, and prominent newspapers. Instead, I found myself delving into journalism's vibrant and often turbulent history, spanning from the colonial era of the 1600s to the transformative penny press period and beyond. 

Free speech is the cornerstone of our First Amendment, and as my teacher proclaimed, “freedom of the press is a fundamental personal right, not
an institutional one.” Meaning, our freedom to criticize the government is not exclusive to media organizations; it belongs to us. The adversarial role of journalism is to act as a check on governmental power, thus it is not just a right but a duty, to act as a watchdog for democracy.
 
Throughout our history, journalists have served this role well. From whistleblowers to muckrakers, journalists have persistently exposed corruption, challenged authority, and illuminated injustices hidden from public view. 

Ida Tarbell, 1904

We learned about figures like Ida Tarbell and Upton Sinclair, muckrakers who successfully confronted the abuses of powerful corporations through investigative journalism in the Partisan era. Their fearless reporting not only sparked societal reforms but underscored the importance of an independent press in preserving democratic integrity. 

Exploring the colonial press era opened my eyes to how precarious press freedom was in the early days. Publishers like Benjamin Harris, whose “Publick Occurrences” newspaper faced immediate suppression, exemplifying the pre-revolutionary war tension between press freedom and governmental control. 

1800s: Satirical Cartoon of
Thomas Jefferson and Satan
pulling down the Federal
Government
At the turn of the 18th century, the partisan press era began. This period, marked by openly biased publications, bears striking similarities to journalism today. Steering away from objectivity and fact-based reporting, newspapers in the partisan era openly wore their political allegiances proudly, actively shaping narratives around their ideological stances. 

Yet, despite their clear divides, the partisan era strengthened the press’s watchdog role by rigorously critiquing the opposition. It established journalism as an essential participant in political discourse— calling out hypocrisy, holding the government accountable, and provoking necessary debates. 

The arrival of the penny press era in the mid-1800s brought yet another transformative shift to journalism. With rapid technological advancement, newspapers became cheaper (“one penny”) and mass-produced. Unfortunately, this led to a rise in competition for viewership amongst newspapers, leading to the formation of press barons. Seeking to maximize profit, press barons used sensationalism (today’s “clickbait”) to attract more readers. 

However, the penny press era also brought about the professionalization movement for journalism. In 1851, the New York Times implemented the “objectivity standard” to counteract the wave of sensationalism, separating opinion pieces from hard news. With journalists yearning to be taken seriously and readers wanting reliable news, journalism evolved into a respectable profession governed by standards of accuracy, impartiality, and ethical responsibility.  

Reflecting on this history, I’ve come to appreciate journalism as more than just reporting facts— it's about championing accountability, empowering citizens, and safeguarding democratic principles. Understanding this past doesn’t merely inform my view of journalism today; it inspires a renewed sense of responsibility to uphold these values as I step into journalism’s future. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why am I here?

I grew up with five older siblings, each one seemingly more successful than the next. Student-body president, captain of the soccer team, valedictorian from Princeton, art prodigy, science whiz… then there was me. Not particularly great at anything, perpetually stuck in mediocrity. Always the best of the worst, or the worst of the best.  I was simply, average .  Books quickly became my refuge in elementary school. Hidden behind their pages, I could immerse myself into far off worlds where reality couldn’t reach me. My love of stories transcended onto paper, where I created my own heroic adventures with characters that I cherished, writing till my fingers were raw and my face was covered in lead.  “You are an incredibly talented storyteller,” my teacher informed me in the seventh grade. Unbeknownst to her, this innocent compliment sparked a decade’s long self-worth battle as a self-proclaimed ‘writer’. Suddenly, writing wasn’t about telling stories anymore– it became a fig...
Read more

History of Political Opinion Columns

Image
It started with a snake. In 1754, Benjamin Franklin carved a message into the soul of American colonies with a single image: a segmented serpent labeled with the names of the scattered provinces. Beneath it lay three urgent words: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 1754 Join, or Die. Meant to rally unity during the French and Indian War , the cartoon would later resurface as a powerful symbol in the Revolutionary War , a potent early reminder that in the world of politics, journalism is just as powerful as any weapon.  Long before political columns became a fixture in newspapers, journalism was a battleground for persuasion. The Colonial Press, often partisan and polemical, carried the spirit of resistance.  The Gilder Lehrman Institute The Sedition Act of 1798 as published in the  "Columbian Centinel" In our country’s earliest years, political writing was sharper, and riskier. In 1798, President John Adams signed the Sedition Act , criminalizing any criticism of the federal gov...
Read more