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History and Role of
Media Study Guide
Revised 2013
Written by Joe Mirando
Compiled by Megan Mosher
Role of Media in a Democracy
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Primary Roles:
  Advocacy role (support)
  Market role (consumer-driven)
  Trustee role (expert)
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Dominant theories:
  Social Responsibility (for the good of society)
  Public Journalism (to advance democracy)
  Citizen media (to give all a voice)
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All roles and theories emphasize these characteristics:
  Sense of community
  Need for going beyond straight facts
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Problems that developed in response to excesses of primary roles:
  Sensationalism (yellow journalism)
  Trivialization (entertainment)
Role of Media in a Democracy
Continued…
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For high school staffs, the role of media should involve
choosing the most appropriate role that fits the character of
the school. This choice is best accomplished by
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Presenting problems AND solutions
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Presenting a range of views
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Consulting representatives, not extremists
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Focusing on values
Role of School Media
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Primary Roles - Challenges
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News reporting (informing) – Serving as gatekeeper
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Entertainment – Balancing priorities
Matter of Record (history) – Ensuring accuracy
School spirit – Dealing with “kill messenger” syndrome
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Community image – Serving as P.R. ambassador
Educational skills – Journalism as learning experience
Reader Culture – Promoting diversity
Leadership – Taking editorial stances
Public Forum – Provide opinion opportunities
Interpretation – Going beyond the facts
Other roles
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Paving your way (financial)
Honors (entering competitions)
Showcase (outlet for expression)
New Trends, Roles in Media
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Impact of Technology
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Efficiency
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Ease
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Time Management
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Availability
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Key value is service
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Key challenge – Do not let the technology drive or dictate the
quality of journalism
History of Media: Beginnings (1600s to
mid-1700s)
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Key development – Rise of a mass audience for information
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Gutenberg (1450) – Bible
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First printing press in America is set up at Harvard (1640)
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Controversy over what was the first newspaper ever
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State of New English Affairs (1689) – Andrew Bradford
Publick Occurences (1690) – Benjamin Harris
Boston Newsletter (1704) – John Campbell
First Successful Journalist – Benjamin Franklin (founded
Pennsylvania Post, Poor Richard’s Almanac, American
magazine and first free library in U.S.)
History of Media: Revolutionary War
Period (late 1700s)
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Key Development – Journalism is recognized as important to
American democracy
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John Peter Zenger trial (1732) – New York Journal
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Stamp Act
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Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” (1776)
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Isaiah Thomas and the shot heard ‘round the world (1775) –
Massachusetts Spy
History of Media: First Amendment
(late 1700s – early 1800s)
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Key development – Journalism provides the foundation of all
other freedoms
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The five freedoms of the 1st Amendment
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What is prohibited by the 1st Amendment
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Freedom of Speech
Freedom of the Press
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of Assembly
Freedom of Petition
Censorship, prior restraint, licensing, taxation
Thomas Jefferson’s Choice: He would prefer newspapers
without government to government without newspapers
History of Media: Partisan Press era
(late 1700s – early 1800s)
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Key development - Journalism is the key to a pluralistic
society
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Advocacy role – Gazette of the U.S. (John Fenno) vs. National
Gazette (Philip Freneau)
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Political Patronage
History of Media: Penny Press era
(early to mid 1800s)
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Key development – Journalism becomes a worthwhile
business venture
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Independent Journalism – Ben Day and the New York Sun
(1833)
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News as Marketing Concept – James Gordon Bennett, the
New York Herald and interviewing (1836)
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Editorial Thunder – Horace Greeley and the New York
Tribune (1841)
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America’s great writers begin as newspaper writers – Mark
Twain, Walt Whitman, Edgar Allen Poe
History of Media: Civil War and
Reconstruction (mid to late 1800s)
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Key development – Beginnings of modern news reporting
techniques
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Inverted pyramid becomes standard news story model
(Edwin Stanton)
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Photojournalism (Matthew Brady) and Illustration (Thomas
Nast)
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Advances Civil Rights (Frederick Douglass) and Women’s
Rights (Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone)
History of Media: Yellow Journalism era
and Jazz Age Journalism (late 1800s to
early 1900s)
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Key development - Journalism practiced to entertainment
excess
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Key techniques – sensationalism, hoaxes, rise of advertising;
later rise of tabloids
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Key figures – William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Pulitzer, Nellie
Blye, P.T. Barnum, Joseph Medill
History of Media: Objective Journalism
(early to mid 1900s)
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Key development – Journalism professionalizes
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Good news reporting consists of authoritative sources,
attribution
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Good news writing does not hint at favoritism, bias
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Journalists must practice ethics – Adolph Ochs (NY Times),
Walter Lippmann (Public Opinion)
History of Media: Mass Communication
Revolution (mid to late 1900s)
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Key development – Journalism moves to the forefront of
corporate opportunity and technology
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Computers, offset printing and electronic newsgathering change
nature of journalism
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Newspapers become defined mainly by geography
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Magazines become defined mainly by niche
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The national leaders – New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today
The leaders – Time and the 7 Sisters
Radio converts from drama to music, kids and talk
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Key moment – Pearl Harbor and the Golden Age of Radio (1930s)
History of Media: Mass Communication
Revolution (mid to late 1900s) Cont…
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Television becomes overnight success and still commands
most of our time
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Key moment – Kennedy assassination
Key figures – Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Bernard Shaw
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Public relations and advertising industries become
professionalized
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Book industry – maintains traditions of respect
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Textbooks become big business, superstores replace small
sellers, e-Books gain foothold
Recording industry – sets mood and pace of modern living;
music variety explodes
History of Media: Convergence
Journalism (2000s)
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Key development – Journalistic mediums come together in
the business of information
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Multi-media methods
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Citizen journalism
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Wireless technology, leads to cell phones and laptops
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Entrepreneurs create World Wide Web, news aggregators,
blogging YouTube, Facebook, Twitter