Many people imagine that journalism has fallen from some golden age of objectivity into today’s landscape of partisan media outlets, influencer commentators, and algorithmic outrage.
But that’s not quite its origin story.
As I wrote in my Skeptic column, journalism did not begin as a neutral profession dedicated to informing the public. It began as a political tool.
The earliest newspapers were openly partisan enterprises. Publishers often had explicit ideological allegiances and, in many cases, direct ties to political parties. Their purpose wasn’t to relay facts (or even turn a profit). It was to persuade, mobilize, and shape public opinion. Journalists at the time were active participants in political battles, not detached observers. This wasn’t a secret. It was the standard.
Then, the focus turned to a more commercial endeavor, and thus the late nineteenth century became the age of yellow journalism. Newspapers began to compete aggressively for readers through scandal, emotion, exag…
