For 150 years the editors of American newspapers ruled the media
landscape.
The men at the helm of newsrooms, and most editors are male, set
agendas.
They directed massive staffs of journalists whose work poured
through an assembly line of cultivating sources, writing, editing,
production, printing and delivery.
They operated as esteemed members of The Fourth Estate,
imagining themselves as independent counterbalances to the forces of power.
The work of reporters, photographers,
and editors became more than a craft. It grew to be a
profession, with professional wages, benefits and perks.
The public's appetite and loyalty to their work was immense.
Huge consumer audiences built around the
newspapers at the first half of the 20th century. The newspapers pronounced,
and the masses listened.
Later, as audiences shifted to television, which broadcast one
way, and every household in America tuned in.
Through it all, the words, photos and editorial judgments of the
newspaper and television newsrooms, editors, and reporters continued to set
local and national agendas.
And it was a hugely profitable business model. Major department
stores, auto dealers, and job-seekers aggregated around the news pages and the
news content.
Profits for both commercial television stations and monopolistic
newspapers rose to 30% or more as massive advertising dollars poured
in a mass medium.
Then the world changed.
- Chris Peck
