Journalism History

From the Vault: Intimidation Through Libel Law

In a throwback to an episode in our vault, historian Aimee Edmondson describes how opponents of the Civil Rights movement weaponized libel law for decades to squelch free speech and silence African American dissent. The transcript is available at Episode 56 at at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/.

Episode 132: Investigative Reporting in the 1830s

Historian Gerry Lanosga describes the investigative reporting techniques used by abolitionists in the early 1800s to counter lies and disinformation spread by slaveholders and their allies. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/

Episode 131: The Sage of Emporia

Biographer Beverley Buller discusses William Allen White, known as the Sage of Emporia, and how this Kansas newspaper owner became a national phenomenon whose home remains a tourist attraction today. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/ 

Episode 130: When the News Broke

Author Heather Hendershot discusses her book, When the News Broke: Chicago 1968 and the Polarizing of America. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/

Episode 129: Staged News

Author Jordana Cox discusses her book, Staged News, about a Depression-era collaboration between journalism and theater to produce news for the theatrical stage. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/. 

Episode 128: The Birth of High School Journalism

Researcher Caitlin Cieslik-Miskimen describes how student newspapers became prominent parts of the American high school experience in the early 1900s. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/

Episode 127: Responsibility vs. Objectivity in Cold War Washington

Historian Kathryn McGarr takes aim at the conventional view of the Cold War Washington press corps as a group of naïve transcriptionists. In this episode, she details the sense of responsibility driving Washington reporters in the '40s and '50s and explains their resulting complicity in passing lies and misinformation to the public. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/

Episode 126: Monica Lewinsky and 1998 Newspaper Framing

Researcher Tracy Everbach discusses the 25th anniversary since the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky affair became national news and the problematic coverage that Lewinsky endured in 1998. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/

Episode 125: Advertising and the Great Depression

University of Kansas student Chloe Martens discusses her research examining how advertisers framed their products during the Dust Bowl/Great Depression years. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/

Episode 124: Look: The Forgotten Magazine

Former New York Times reporter, book author, and historian Andrew L. Yarrow shares the overlooked history of Look magazine, a photojournalistic rival to better-known Life that featured pioneering coverage of topics like civil rights and gender and that both reflected and helped build the American post-war consensus. Show transcripts are available at https://journalism-history.org/podcast/