Influential Journalists

We all have favorite newspapers, news stations, journalists, etc. but all of these things would not be the way they are today without these seven influential journalists.

1. John Peter Zenger is the number one influential print journalist according to journalismdegree.org. Zenger published the New York Weekly Journal in the 1700s. When he wrote unflatterning things about the British government he was arrested and tried for libel. Since Zenger was found not guilty, he established the ground rule of libel.

2. Benjamin Franklin has claimed second place for the most influential journalist because he used his columns in The Pennsylvania Gazette to influence others and spread his ideas.

3. William Randolp Hearst is influential because he was one of the instigators in "yellow journalism" and started The San Francisco Examiner.

4. Joseph Pulitzer is so influential that his name is used for The Pulitzer Prize for the best journalism contributions.

5. Tom Wolfe created a new form of journalism called "new journalism" in the 1960s and 1970s. This new style used scenes rather than just straight-out facts.

6. Hunter S. Thompson, also created a new form of journalism called "Gonzo journalism." This form of journalism involves the reporter to actually be in the action of the story.

7. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, this is actually two people but they are linked together by their stories that brought former President Richard Nixon down over the Watergate scandal.

There are many others that have influenced journalism in many ways and I encourage you to stop and look at how and why we are where we are today.

Photo Credit: Via Creative Commons

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The Most Important Political Interview Ever

In 1977, the world will know the thruth about the Watergate scandal thanks to the work of a british journalist, Sir David Frost.

What we call the Nixon interviews is a series of interviews of former United States President Richard Nixon that were recorded on television in four programs in 1977.

Richard Nixon was away from public life for two years after his resignation in 1974 and the discovery of the Watergate scandal. Sir david frost will pay him to obtain these interviews. Unlike conventional political interviews, Nixon was not aware of the questions that would be ask to him and he appeared surprised and tensed.

For a journalist, the work of Sir David Frost is an example that demonstrates how to get the truth from a politician and how to run an interview that will have an impact on the audience.

A Gallup poll conducted after the interviews aired showed that 69 percent of the public thought that Nixon was still trying to cover up, 72 percentstill thought he was guilty of obstruction of justice, and 75 percent thought he deserved no further role in public life.

It is the role of a journalist to find the truth, to investigate, to ask questions that can lead to a great answer and in this case, Frost did a wonderful job.

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