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EOTO 2: Modern Journalism


Modern Journalism

What is it? Many say that the three phenomenas that changed American journalism was the penny press, yellow journalism, and muckraking.

The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland on May 12, 1840 · 1
The Baltimore Sun
newspapers.com

The Penny Press 

Created in the1830s, the penny press was cheap, hence the term "penny",  mass produced journalism. This type of journalism could be compared to tabloids that we see all over today. This type of journalism became widespread after the invention of steam powered printing. These papers only  once cent while others averaged at six cents at the time. The middle class relied on the penny press to receive there news and it prevented them from being less informed compared to the higher classes. The most popular forms of penny press were The Boston Herald, the Baltimore Sun, and the Philadelphia Public Ledger. 

Yellow Journalism 

'Fake' image of Kim Jong-un lying in glass coffin (left) and photo of the North Korean dictator in a white shirt
Fake image of Kim Jong Un in coffin
Yellow journalism is a term that was used for press that focused on sensationalism rather than facts and ethics. This type of press lacked factual information or evidence and exaggerated headlines to increase sales. A more modern term of yellow journalism that we use today is "fake news". The term yellow journalism" originated in 1890 when describing the tactics used during a competition between two NYC papers, the New York World and Journal . Unfortunately, today with such a wide realm of press, we see yellow journalism more and more everyday. Examples of modern day yellow journalism include the latest news blast "Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea leader, is Dead", a headline that caught many peoples attention but lacked actual evidence. 

Muckraking 

Julian Assange - Wikipedia
Modern Day Muckraker:
Julian Assange
Muckraking is the action of searching and publishing scandalous information of those in the public eye. This term developed in the Progressive Era, when journalists investigated political, economic, and social corruption caused by big businesses as the United States began industrializing. Today, this type of journalism could be categorized as watch dog/paparazzi or investigative journalism. A  day journalist who may be considered a muckraker is Julian Assange, a journalist who released corrupt government information to the public.    


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