Rediscovering Narrative: a Cultural History of Journalistic Storytelling in American Newspapers, 1969-2001

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Rediscovering Narrative: a Cultural History of Journalistic Storytelling in American Newspapers, 1969-2001 REDISCOVERING NARRATIVE: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF JOURNALISTIC STORYTELLING IN AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS, 1969-2001 by THOMAS R. SCHMIDT A DISSERTATION Presented to the School of Journalism and Communication and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2017 DISSERTATION APPROVAL PAGE Student: Thomas R. Schmidt Title: Rediscovering Narrative: A Cultural History of Journalistic Storytelling in American Newspapers, 1969-2001 This dissertation has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the School of Journalism and Communication by: Lauren J. Kessler Co-Chairperson Gretchen Soderlund Co-Chairperson Scott Maier Core Member Ellen Herman Institutional Representative and Scott L. Pratt Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2017 ii © 2017 Thomas R. Schmidt iii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Thomas R. Schmidt Doctor of Philosophy School of Journalism and Communication June 2017 Title: Rediscovering Narrative: A Cultural History of Journalistic Storytelling in American Newspapers, 1969-2001 This dissertation analyzes the expansion of narrative journalism and the institutional change in the American newspaper industry in the last quarter of the 20th century. In doing so, it offers the first institutionally-situated history of narrative journalism’s evolution from the New Journalism of the 1960s to longform literary journalism in the 1990s. This analysis shows that the New Journalism, contrary to popular beliefs, did indeed have a significant impact on daily news production in American newspapers. Yet, this study also demonstrates that the evolution of narrative techniques in late twentieth century American journalism was more nuanced, more purposeful and more institutionally based than the New Journalism myth suggests. When editors and journalists adapted narrative journalism in daily newspaper between the 1960s and the early 2000s, they responded to a variety of cultural and institutional influences and then developed a narrative news logic to mediate and channel these influences. Eventually, narrative journalism took shape as a distinct “cultural form of news,” adding a novel way of reporting and writing the news in daily newspapers. This dissertation examines how narrative innovations took hold in American newspapers and how in turn the production logic of newspapers affected narrative conventions. Relying on archival research, oral history interviews and textual analysis, this study traces and analyzes the emergence of narrative journalism in American newspapers iv between the 1960s and the 1990s. A combination of individual efforts and institutional initiatives changed newsroom cultures, fostered an interpretive community and created rituals, establishing an alternative way of reporting and writing the news in American newspapers. This work offers a multi-layered description of how a new set of institutions, norms, processes, and actors emerged in journalism and how this novel news regime shaped the attitudes and practices of media producers and consumers in the late 20th century. v CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Thomas R. Schmidt GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene New School for Social Research, New York University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University of Vienna, Vienna DEGREES AWARDED: Doctor of Philosophy, Media Studies, 2017, University of Oregon Master of Arts, Literary Nonfiction, 2011, University of Oregon Magister philosophiae (equivalent to M.A.), Philosophy, 2005, University of Vienna AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Journalism Studies American Cultural History PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Research Assistant, University of Oregon, 2014-2017 Teaching Assistant, University of Oregon, 2009-2011; 2012-2014 Director, biber Academy, 2011-2012 Reporter, Kleine Zeitung, 2008-2009 Reporter, ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation), 1999-2004; 2006-2008 GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS: Lorri I. Lokey Scholar, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 2016 vi Wayne Morse Center Graduate Student Research Award, 2016 Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society, 2016 Best Research Paper by a Graduate Student Prize, International Association for Literary Journalism Studies, 2016 Oregon Humanities Center Graduate Research Support Fellowship, 2015 Gary E. Smith Summer Award, University of Oregon Graduate School, 2015 Graduate Research Grant, Center for the Study of Women in Society, 2015 Best Research Paper by a Graduate Student Prize, International Association for Literary Journalism Studies, 2015 CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Award for Feature Writing, 2014 Columbia Scholarship, University of Oregon, 2013-2016 Graduate Teaching Fellowship, University of Oregon, 2012-2017 Transatlantic Media Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington D.C., 2012 Graduate Teaching Fellowship, University of Oregon, 2009-2011 Politz Journalism Graduate Scholarship, University of Oregon, 2010 New School Research Assistantship, 2005-2007 Fulbright grantee, 2005-2006 Honorary scholarship of the federal state of Lower Austria, 2005 Graduation with honors from the University of Vienna, Austria, 2005 Fellowship of the University of Vienna for research in Paris, France, 2005 ERASMUS scholarship (European academic exchange), 2001 PUBLICATIONS: Thomas R. Schmidt, “Pioneer of Style: How the Washington Post Adopted Literary Journalism.” Literary Journalism Studies 9, vol. 1 (in print). vii Thomas R. Schmidt, “Rearticulating Carey: Towards a Cultural History of Journalism,” in Models of Communication: Philosophical and Theoretical Approaches, ed. Mats Bergman (London: Routledge, forthcoming). Thomas R. Schmidt, “The Circuit of Culture: A Model for Journalism History,” CM: Communication and Media 11, no. 36 (2016): 71-88. Thomas R. Schmidt, “Grundlagen des digitalen Erzählens“ [Foundations of Digital Storytelling], in Die Kunst der Story [The Art of Story], ed. Marlis Prinzing (Thun: Werd und Weber Verlag, 2015). Thomas R. Schmidt, “Dekonstruktion und Weltpolitik” [Deconstruction and World Politics], In Nach Derrida. Dekonstruktion in zeitgenösischen Diskursen, eds. Dominik Portune & Peter Zeillinger (Vienna: Turia + Kant, 2006). Thomas R. Schmidt, “Politik der Verantwortlichkeit” [Politics of Responsibility], in Kreuzungen Jacques Derridas: Geistergespräche zwischen Philosophie und Theologie, eds. Peter Zeillinger and Matthias Flatscher (Vienna: Turia + Kant, 2004). viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Every dissertation has a backstory. While the result is discursive and organized, the process behind it is narrative and often serendipitous. The backstory would not really make for a bestseller but it certainly has all the ingredients of a good story: a character (me) is faced with obstacles (this dissertation) and overcomes these obstacles with the help of many people along the way. Here is where I would like to acknowledge all this help, support and encouragement. Encouragement in the early stages of a dissertation research is vital for staying motivated and focused. I would like to thank Tim Vos, Chris Wilson, Jack Hart, Mike Fancher, Robert Picard, Victor Pickard, Rodney Benson and Stephan Russ-Mohl. The SOJC has provided a stimulating environment for pursuing this degree and research assistantships helped me greatly to stay flexible while learning about the tricks of the trade. I sincerely appreciated the opportunity to work with Andrew deVigal, Peter Laufer, Damian Radcliffe and Seth Lewis. I admire their scholarship and appreciate their friendship. Regina Lawrence joined the University of Oregon when I was half way into my doctoral program. She guided my readings in political communication, provided letters of recommendation for numerous fellowships and was always supportive of my academic endeavors. I also received steadfast support from Michael Schudson. He read through early drafts of some chapters and encouraged me to keep going. I have found a lot of inspiration in his work and so his encouragement meant a lot to me. An interdisciplinary study such as this one would not have been possible without the critical input of scholars at the University of Oregon in a variety of fields. I cannot overstate how much I benefitted from branching out to other disciplines and receiving feedback as well as suggestions for further reading. I also wish to express sincere appreciation for financial support from the Oregon Humanities Center, the Center for the Study of Women in Society, the Graduate School and the Wayne Morse Center for the Study of Politics. This funding was most important for providing resources to do archival research in Washington, D.C., Boston and St. Petersburg, Florida. In Washington, I am indebted to Evelyn Small. She rescued important Washington Post documents from being thrown in the dumpster and shared them with me. My time at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies was especially productive and this would not have been possible without Roy Peter Clark. He allowed me access to the Eugene C. Patterson papers and other materials at the Poynter Library. He shared personal documents and was generous ix with his time. Most importantly, he was a very welcoming host. As much as I enjoyed the archives, I particularly relished talking to some of the people who were instrumental in expanding narrative journalism in American newsrooms. They are
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