Central Ideas in the Development of American Journalism

The thesis of this volume is that a broad look at the whole philosophical pattern of journalism will show three central ideas achieving dominance sequentially. The first of these central ideas -- which Olasky terms "macro-stories" -- was called the "official story" since it overarchs the daily bits and pieces of journalistic coverage. Built on the belief that power knows best, and that editors should merely print whatever the king or governor demanded, published news quickly became what state authorities wanted people to know. Offering a fresh look at the legends of journalism, this book narrates the history of macro-stories (the "official," the "corruption" and the "oppression" story) in American journalism from its European beginnings in the 16th and 17th century through 1917.