NewpapersJournalism Principles and Practices

First Papers...

• 1690 - Publick Occurrences• 1704 - Boston Newsletter• 1721 - New England Courant - not

published by authority, and edited “through the jailhouse door”

The Zenger Case in 1734

• Seditious libel• Claim about truth• Broke back of seditious libel laws,

established precedent that truth is a defense against libel

Eras

• Partisan Press• Penny Press• Yellow Journalism• Modern

Partisan

Colonial - 1833• Elitist• 6 cents• Hand presses

Penny Press

• 1833-1865• Reached middle and lower classes• Popular news, columns, reporters• Classified ads• Better presses• Industrial Revolution = Interplay of society and media

consumption• Telegraph = Medium is the message

Yellow Journalism

• 1865-1900• Sensational, provocative• Yellow Kid• Spanish-American War• Remember nature of population

Modern Era

• 1900 to present• Age of Reform• NYT=Newspaper of Record

Shift in Nature of Newspaper Business

• Revenue plunged• Classified lost to Google and Craigslist• Gave away for free -- hard to change

habits• Massive debt• Banner ineffective

Possible Models

• Paywall• Leaky paywall• Metered• Hyperlocal

But Irrespective, Powerful Medium

• People go to network buildings with papers tucked under their arms

• Strong heritage: Watergate

About the FilmAll the President’s Men Viewing GuideJournalism Principles and Practices

The midterm may contain an essay question about the film All the President’s Men. We will probably start watching the film Thursday. While this film is more than two decades old, it illustrates many continuing issues in media ethics and is still, in my opinion, the best film ever made about journalistic decision-making. Screenwriter William Goldman spent a great deal of time at the Washington Post, and shadowed Woodward and Bernstein for months to pick up on their practices, their mannerisms, and how they fit into the corporate culture of journalism.

More on the FilmTake notes about the film and the following issues:

● The threat posed by the U.S. government. Were the reporters and editors afraid? What did they have to be afraid of? Was it right that they should have been afraid?

● The glamour afforded to the business of investigative reporting by the case and by the film. The film, by the way, is true to life in almost

every aspect of the case. Think about why this film prompted journalism school enrollments to double. If it inspires you, what is the reason? Is it the right reason?

● How the Post reporters went about verifying information. What system did they use? Did it always work? Was it a

good system? Do you think it was too tight or too loose?

● The Post reporters were always clear about identifying themselves as reporters. But sometimes they used coercive techniques. Note the techniques they used, and be able to identify three such situations and be able to discuss whether you think their tactics were right or wrong.

● Most important: Did the ends justify the means in this case? A lot of people were hurt in the process of the investigation; they lost

their jobs or were publicly humiliated. Be able to analyze a couple such cases from Kant’s, Bentham’s, and Aristotle’s point of view. Think, too, about the role of national security in all this.

● Be sure you are conversant with the names of the major figures in the Watergate affair.