Class response: September 19, 2018

    In Journalism I, we have finished our discussion on ancient printing and have moved to different newspaper eras. I was very interested in the waves of different styles and was making connections to styles used today. The era of partisan press seemed very frustrating as no unbiased reporting was being done. Journalists saw the need for inclusive news and adapted their styles. Associated press was a big turnaround from the partisan press. The inverted pyramid reminded me of real time reporting, as the most important information is prioritized. Articles written in the inverted pyramid align with some values of good news journalism; factual and independent. I connected yellow journalism with “clickbait” articles that  pop up everywhere. The term muckraker actually showed up in my book I am reading, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. “He [the owner/journalist] saw himself as a muckraking gadfly, and has mortgaged his brownstone five times to keep The Phoenix [the newspaper company Jeannette worked at] going.” The term muckraker was coined during the penny press era. Muckraker was like an for early name watchdogs because muckrakers exploit people in power. I find it intriguing that an era associated with populist news and exaggerations led to social changes in journalism.