The American" New Journalism" and the Europeans
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 229 774 CS 207 514 AUTHOR Marzolf, Marion TITLE , The American "New Journalism" and theEuropeans. PUB DATE Aug 83 e NOTE 23p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meetingof the Association for Education,in Journalismand Mass Communication (66th, Corvallis, OR,August 6-9, , F 1983). PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070)-- Speeches/Conference Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not_Availablefrom EDRS, DESCRIPTORS Foreign Countries; *Influences; *Journalism; *Newspapers; *News Reporting; News Writing;United States History . IDENTIFIERS *Europe; *Journalism History N ABSTRACT . American "New Journalism" of the 1880sand 1890i--a blend of the popular pres§ and the elitepolitical and literary journal creating a comprehensive generalinterest newspaper that informed', entertained, and editorfalizedon politics--became the model for the Modern dailynewspaper in the Western World. The American emphasis on news and the extensiveuse of the interview, human interer story, enterprisereporting and big headlineswere soon seen inthe major European newspapers, These AmericaninflUences grew out of developments in the American Midwestand in New York City. through the efforts of James GdrdonBennett, Jr., Joseph Pulitzer, and William Randolph,Hearst. In spiteof resistance from French ind British editors and publishers,Bennett successfully introducedan American style newspaper in France, andAlfred Harmsworth adapted the American style for British readers.In the first years of the twentieth century, there wasa great deal of cross-Atlantic employment in both directions, andEuropean journalists became better acquainted with the Americanpress. They thought that the American press was newsy and enterprising, but that it,mightbe toned down a bit. By this time American'swere conducting their own bitter campaign against the excesses of "yelaow journalism,"but the modern direction was already set. At the start'of World War I, journalistswere working out a set of standards anda code of ethics that would encourage journalistic responsibility without ignoringthe readers' intereSt in a good story. (HTH) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRSare the best that can be made from the original document. ********4************************************************************** . U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION "NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION yCEINThER lEbeRICnI This docum oprocluced 'as .HISTORY DIVISION received born the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction 4ualay points of view or opinions stated in this docu Mont do not necessarily represent official NIE position or policy THE AMERICAN "NEW JOURNALISWAND THE EUROPEANS I. ,* A paper presented inthe.AEJMC History Division's "Studies in IrqellectualHO.story Journalists' VisionOof Journalism"session, 7 "Corvallis, Oregoh,August 6-9, 1983 'sr "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCETHIS MATERIAL N MICROFICHEONLY HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Marion Marzolf Marion Marzolf Department of Communication . University of Michigan TO THE EDUCATIONAL-feSOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." ABSTRACT History Division 1983 4 . THE AMERICAN "NEW JOURNALISM!'AND THE EUROPEANS Marion Marzolf Associate Professor Department of Ccimmunidation University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 ABSTRACT American new journalism" of the 1880's and.1890'sbecame the model for the modern daily nwspaper in the Western world. America's unique contributionwas to blend twopr14t traditionsthbpopular press'with the elite journalinto a comprehensive political and literary general interestnewspaper that informed, entertained and editorialized on politics. French,.English and Scandinavianjournalists who visited these decades were keen the_United States in observers of the new developments. Their Insights offer -unique perspectiveon the American.developments. a They predicted its,spreadto Europe, and by the etart of the20th century the on dews, extensive use ol the Americanizing influences--emphasis interview, human intereststory, enterprise reporting and big headlineswereseen in the major cities of Europe, for the lower classes which especially in newspapers had finally gainedaccess to general education thus creating a new market ofreaders. The American influenceswere also adopted and adapted by dle class and elite partisan growing numbers of mid- European newspapers. The European journalists astonished'at the vitality of were the American press andat ts mixed audience. While they criticized the Americanpress for its trivia 'and admired its extensive sensationalism4.some.observers news coverage and functionas a democratic forum. Foreign professionals sawthehigher pay and prestige reporters and contrasted that accorded Americannews with the European highprestige for editorial and political essayists but writers not for reporters. There was some cross-Atlantic employment in both directionsas the word of opportunity spread. Europe to introduce the "new journalism." Americans went to Europeans came to America pay and learn or offer instagt to earn better expertise on European affairs. Information about the technological, economic andprofessional developments in culated in Europe and America journalism were widely cir- through these tiavelers andthrough the press. club 'journals which were startedat the end of the century. The American influence on contemporary journalism, whichgrew out of developments in the American midwestand in New York City through the efforts of JosephPulitzer, James Gordon Bennett, Jr., 'and WilliamRandolph Hearst, is standard press history. not much noticed in the This paper seeks to fillin sone of the gap. Presented to the History Division at the Association for Educationin Journalism Annual Conventien in Corvallis,Oregon, August 1983. 1 During the 1880 hdd 1890's a keengroup of,European observers -- journalists , and eators.-- broU. bhck to-London , Paris Berlin, Copenhagen and other European. cities,'samples ofa' nev'; journaligm" ihatwas sweepAng-America. They warned that the American style uld infect Europe. The,"new journalism" madeuse of big head- lines, showy:5Allust atione and livelywriting to attract large circUlations,fat columns of adverti eMents and huge profits. ILold and respected American daily newspapers_weve io ing ground against these news-hungry urbandewspapers with their crop of energetic and'bright young men andwomen reporters who daghed about the city / / gathering news., Thig indepe dent, enterprisingjournalism did not need politicalparty backing. Iis wealth camerom advertising and mass circulation.A vast new reading public had been create by the growth of free public educationin the years after the Civil War, and newspa ets that reached thesemasses had the potential to sway and mold 'opinion On a:a hle not posSible for a typically splintered party press. This lesson was not lost on Europeans, especially those whnran the respected party newspapers. ! Nor was it logt on the venturesome risk-takers whopaw a similar market shaping up in Europe. By'the end of the century, Europeans wouldhave examples of th"new journalism" in their capitol cities, and the Americanizingstyle with its emphasis onnews, exteAsive use of-the interview, humaniterest story and enterprise reportingwould gradually influence and change their highbrownewspapers well. ' -This'AmArican joUrnalism became the modelfor the modern dailynewspaper in the -Westernianild, but until recently fewpress historians have taken notice of thig.1 Ameil.cd'suriique Contribution Wasto blend elements from two separateprint traditions: .(1)' the elite politiCal.newspapers and literary/essay journals, and-(2)the popular penny andipoulevara'neWsPaPers, pOlidegazettes and story papers. The "new journalism" 4.3 2 used the emotional and sensational aPPeals of thepopular press toattyact new, unsophisticated readersand provide them with a sense of the wondsr,excitement .and danger of themodern city. But it also,tooka serious interest in political affairs, public welfareand working conditions and took the side ofthe working men and women in the city. The formula became increasingly successful inthe growing industrial citiesof the Americarymidwest after the Civil War,although it sometimesseems to have burst upon thescene when Joseph Pulitzerintroduced it in Ne* York City in the New York Worldin 1883.2 The European\perspective on America's new journalismprovides a°unique angle of vision on this key V 4 period in Americanpress history. It highligh'ts sc* ofthe features that were'not sopreadily apparent inAmerica, where these *1 8 developments had been slow andgradual. "New jonrpalisu was,.of course, discussedon both sides of the Atlantic, andAmerica had its admirers in Europe as wellas its critics.3 One of the earliest Europeans to takenote of the new developments .. i ica wasjheodore Child, whoreported to English readers in 1885 thatthere were twoma n classes of journalS inAmerica. There were:the "respectableand soTewhat sleepy ones" of Smallcirculation and the "enterpriSing and money-making ones" oflarge circulation,'he said. "It is the pushing and unscrupulous journalJyou see in everybody's hands; it is,against A keen competition of the popular one-andtwo- . - . cent papers that the old-fashioned and resPeeta:blepapers have to struggle,'''he, observed. "But that battlewas nearly deAded in America; the 'high-classpapers were the exceptions."4 4rok This "new element" injournalism which was attracting large circulationsand making sharp competitionfor