Getting the Real Story

The history of journalism and the printed word has been the history of periodic technological upheaval, The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century made wide distribution of the written word possible and was the beginning of the end of the dominantly oral culture of Europe. Later, the invention of the Linotype machine in the late 19th century heralded the beginning of thick, mass-market newspapers.

Both turned out to be democratizing influences. The printing press made it possible to print pamphlets and newsletters critical of the government of the day, even if authorities fought back with ultimately failed provisions such as licensing. The emergence of cheap mass-produced newspapers helped muckraking journalists at the turn of the 20th century to reach and influence millions. Mass-distributed newspapers such as the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Toronto Star have since provided a perfect...