In The New Media Monopoly, author Ben Bagdikan writes that five companies today own most of the newspapers, magazines, book publishers, movie studios, and radio and television stations in the United States.
At the start of the 20th century, by comparison, most newspapers had at least five competing newspapers of various ideologies.
Truth
While serving as a watchdog for the public, reporters also sought to find the truth, or at least as close an account of it, as was possible. Obviously, truth is relative and subjective with the "truth" as spoken by Mencken — especially in his later years when he made regrettable remarks about Hitler and the Jews — being quite different from the "truth" reported by the muckrakers.
In some ways, I think the muckrakers came closer to the mark because while they may have at times gotten too close to the situation — as they went from reporting the news to becoming part of the news when working in factories or living in mental asylums — they were able to report clearly and accurately what was happening.
This is what good investigative journalists of today also must do.
But truth can also get you in trouble, both 100 years ago and today. Take lawsuits, for example. While newspapers have more legal rights than 100 years ago, especially as it pertains to public figures, there are also more lawsuits than 100 years ago.
Conclusion
Life for a white male journalist sounds more difficult 100 years ago than today, but that probably has much more to do with all of the changes occurring in all professions — increased use of telephones, cars, better health care, etc.
Then, as now, newspapers sometimes had credibility problems as they sensationalized some stories. Today, we have tabloids and the Drudge Report compared to the newspapers printing yellow journalism 100 years ago.
Wages were less but so were products. But the thought of hand-writing articles and not having easy access to phones makes this writer shudder.
Overall, this writer prefers life in the 21st century. And the writer will just pass on having my own spittoon, but thanks for asking.
Article comments
1 - Sister Ray
Interesting article. I admire Mencken's writing very much. He wouldn't last a day in the politically correct newsrooms of today.
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
I thought they still used typewriters. Consider me enlightened!
3 - Bliffle
You COULD get a computer built into the base of an old Underwood, then you'd be able to loosen your tie, push your snap brim fedora back on your head, light up a Lucky Strike, growl at the copyboy out of the corner of your mouth, and start hammering out the prose! Just like a REAL reporter!
4 - Scott Butki
Yeah, that's what I'll do!
5 - A.L. Harper
I like the finished article here Scott.
6 - Scott Butki
Thanks, A.L.