Journalism’s role in American history and society. by Valerie Butler

Abraham Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation

2026-06-01 16:54:48 UTC

This post is about Abraham Lincoln. It uses very precise language and uses many words and phrases that we would not use today. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves. This was written in a newspaper in very tiny words. The newspaper had no pictures and was just lots of words on a page.

nat turners rebellion

2026-06-01 16:55:25 UTC

this is how Nat turner killed the family that enslaved them and then led a rebellion that left around 50 people dead. They got this news around by news papers made by writers who may have witnessed what happened the people made four detailed pages on what he did.

Investigative Journalism

s80724_1 — 2026-06-01 16:58:24 UTC

Journalists sometimes have to act like detectives. They have to find the right information and interview people to get their stories straight. They may have to work on it for a while and gather documents that uncover the information they need. Some journalists have to interview lots of people and get objects to solve the case and share their story.

Example: Coverage of Mental Health

butlerv2 — 2026-06-01 16:59:35 UTC

In the mid-1800s, the activist Dorothea Dix helped lead a reform movement in mental health, which resulted in the construction of public psychiatric hospitals across the country. Unfortunately, serious problems persisted. In 1887, a young journalist named Nellie Bly went undercover and exposed the conditions inside a New York mental hospital. Bly’s story made national headlines and helped create the idea of investigative journalism.

Women journalists during WW2

s88304_1 — 2026-06-01 17:00:08 UTC

During World War 2, women journalists covered the human cost of war, military life, political developments, and, when they could get away with it, front‑line combat itself. Their reporting broadened public understanding of the war and challenged gender barriers in journalism.

NASA lands humans on the moon

2026-06-01 17:01:08 UTC

This article was about humans who were set for a return to Earth. This article used big headings that helped to grab you in and try to entice you to read it. There is also a caption under the picture, which helps to better describe the picture.

Campaign for Women's Suffrage

2026-06-01 17:01:08 UTC

This post is about how in 1919 the United states senate finally passed the law allowing women to vote. They were able to do this because after years of women fighting back and boycotting, they saw the problem and officially ratified the amendments allowing women to have voting rights.

Civil War Cartoon

s76403 — 2026-06-01 17:01:52 UTC

This cartoon was made during the Civil War to symbolize a Union Commander waiting for Confederate leaders to come out of hiding. This has changed since then because they used more detailed handwritten illustrations rather than modern times, where we use AI or technology to make pictures and illustrations. This was also targeted towards certain people to make them mad or put them down to bring themselves up. This was in black and white rather than color as we do now.

Native americans origins and acompishments

2026-06-01 17:02:58 UTC

They started from Nomadic travels and Aztec culture Which help develop Mathmatic systems and astronomy

Bias

s80724_1 — 2026-06-01 17:03:16 UTC

A very important detail of journaling is to keep the bias from slipping through when talking about topics you're passionate about. Journalists have to make sure they share information accurately and share all the details in the information to make the case and story as fair as possible. Being biased is when you share YOUR beliefs and YOUR opinion on a story or situation instead of sharing all the other biases or opinions.

Fredrick Douglass - One of the First Black Journalists

2026-06-01 17:03:47 UTC

In the 1800s, most journalists where all white. Fredrick Douglass was one of the few black men to become a journalist. In 1838, at just 20 years old, he escaped slavery and with borrowed money from trusted friends, he bought his very own printing press. Fredrick published weekly newspapers until he decided to leave Maryland to eventually become a leading abolitionist.

2026-06-01 17:05:24 UTC

This about how fort sumter was attacked which started the civil war. It talks about how slaves were gaining freedom and how states were joining and choosing sides. It was very specific and told us how each event happened and the outcome. While keeping it very to the point.

WW2 AND WOMENS JOURNALISM

2026-06-01 17:05:37 UTC

After World War I, United States leadership pushed for a return to normalcy, as President Warren G. Harding phrased it. Many women returned to traditional roles and racial inequalities persisted. Soon, however, geopolitics changed once more and America found itself readying for another war.

During World War I and II, the government tightly controlled who could be a war correspondent. While women reporters were prohibited from covering the front lines, not all of the 120 or so accredited female reporters followed those orders. Some did not

Women's role in WW2

2026-06-01 17:06:39 UTC

During World War 2 1939-1945, when most men were off fighting, injured, or killed, women were called to become journalists to print, photograph, and radio important parts of the war, and keeping everyone else in America updated on what was happening.

Vietnam

2026-06-01 17:06:47 UTC

Up until the mid-1960s, much of the reporting on the Vietnam War was supportive of the war effort. Many Americans believed their soldiers were defending Vietnam from Communist aggression, including from China or the Soviet Union. By the late 1960s, however, reports of the war showed that the US was not making progress, and some Americans began to question US motives and involvement altogether.

In response, several political officials and even average Americans accused the media of undermining the war effort. Some called on Congress to reduce press freedoms. Americans who criticized the war were called unpatriotic and told to “love it or leave it.” A strong antiwar movement began to build up as a result of this pushback.

Alice Paul's Hunger Strike and Torture in Prison

2026-06-01 17:08:01 UTC

This article from the suffragist movement discusses suffragist Alice Paul's time in prison. It describes how Paul went on a hunger strike and refused to wear prison clothes. She was interviewed, and her quote describes the torture she went through. The prison workers would force-feed her by holding her down on her bed, prying her mouth open with pliers, and shoving a tube down her nostril or mouth to pour food straight to her stomach. This is the main focus of the article, but it also briefly discusses Paul's life at home and how Paul and her partner, Amelia Brown, evaded the police at the Mayor's banquet. Since this article is older, it uses language that may not be commonly used today. There are no pictures in this short article. The suffragist movement mainly took place in the United States from the 1860s to 1920, when an amendment to the Constituition allowing women to vote was passed.

Women Journalists WWII

2026-06-01 17:09:35 UTC

Many men were in the war, so women had to take up vacant jobs. Female journalists' print, photography, and radio made an important impact by informing citizens about the war and the sadness of the conflict. They also informed citizens about political developments. Their reporting broadened citizens' understanding of the war. An example of a female journalist is Martha Gellhorn.

world war ll ends

2026-06-01 17:09:52 UTC

This talks about germany stopping the war and goes into detail on how people celebrated. The new peace they now have no longer needing to fear. and how the allied forces made germany surrender and that 106,000 people took a day off to celebrate and thousands left the army.

Native American

s88304_1 — 2026-06-01 17:10:02 UTC

Cultural biases in U.S. journalism shaped reporting on Native American issues by distorting representation, limiting coverage, and reinforcing stereotypes, often silencing Native voices and misinforming the public. The pattern is well-documented across historical and contemporary media.

Audience

s80724_1 — 2026-06-01 17:11:00 UTC

It's so important to figure out who your audience is. Your audience is the people reading or listening to your story or report. If you share your video on, for instance, YouTube Kids, but it's about grown-up topics like taxes, that may not be the best choice because younger kids watch on that site most of the time. If you are making your content for younger kids on a podcast, maybe put it on young kid platforms or where parents might be for their kids. If you do this, your audience won't be confused and may better understand your report or story.

The Transcontinental Railroad

s86709 — 2026-06-01 17:11:04 UTC

This Newsletter speaks about the completion of the transcontinental railroad and and how supplies and goods can be sent out an much greater speeds. This happened at 1869. The monorail was finished and connected in Utah. With lots of work and material put together, they finally made the longest train track in history (so far).

Iroquois Confederacy and the Great Law of Peace

2026-06-01 17:11:07 UTC

The Haudenosaunee, “peoples of the longhouse,” formed the Iroquois Confederacy, several centuries ago in upstate New York. The league had developed a sophisticated system of government under the Iroquois Constitution, or the Great Law of Peace, in which women were seen as equals and held political positions of power. In 1988, the Senate acknowledged the Iroquois Confederacy’s contribution to the US Constitution.

Women's rights.

2026-06-01 17:11:54 UTC

In 1919 the united stats approved of granting women the right to vote. Only 36 stats were required to pass this law. Witch brought trouble, journalist highlighted the arguments and spread awarness, witch led to a campaign for women's rights.

Gender Equality

2026-06-01 17:12:00 UTC

This post is about gender discrimination and the fight for equal rights. When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, no mention was made of women. It took hundreds of years for US citizen women to achieve some of the legal and political rights that they should have had in the first place. Women's magazines or pages were mostly for upper-class white women, and they were even criticized for including topics like cooking, fashion, and decorating, but also published women's voices that weren't in larger productions.

9/11

2026-06-01 17:13:05 UTC

9/11 was a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This was broadcasted on a video in a press room. He talked about what happened and used a sad tone. This was one of the biggest events in USA history and was hard to broadcast because you need to say the right words without making people mad.

Gender Equality

2026-06-01 17:13:27 UTC

Going back to America during the 1850s, women had little rights. They could not vote, own their own property, have their own bank account, and mostly had to rely on men. Enslaved women had even less rights. All women were expected only to stay home, take care of the kids, cook, clean, repeat. As time goes on, women started realizing how unfair the treatment was, and started to fight back. Soon the struggles of what women had to face were published on women magazines. This then led to the amendments allowing women to vote, and also giving women mostly equal chances and treatment though they still face many.

Rhode Island becomes the last of the 13 states to ratify the Constitution

2026-06-01 17:13:50 UTC

Rhode Island was the final state of the original 13 to endorse the Constitution. Though the Constitution officially went into effect after the ninth state ratified it, the unanimous ratification of the document was crucial to making it the foundational document of rights and law of the United States that we know today.

Photography

s76403 — 2026-06-01 17:14:28 UTC

A huge part of journalism is photography. It helps readers understand the story visually. Photos help provide evidence of events, capture important moments, and help readers visually understand what happened. It can also introduce real-world problems, such as mental health, as we see in this photo. Photographs can show new perspectives that words couldn't quite describe. This has improved over time because we have gotten higher-quality cameras that show the situation more clearly and help readers visualize it.

The Three Brave Quaker's

2026-06-01 17:14:54 UTC

During the Civil War, the Quaker women decided to write a pro-Union newspaper - the Waterford News. This was a very dangerous thing to do because not only were they women, but they lived in the Confederate Virginia. Their ultimate goal in doing this was "to cheer the weary soldier, and render material aid to the sick and wounded.” Not only did they accomplish this, but they raised almost one thousand dollars - $27,000 in today's money - for the US Sanitary Commission.

American revolution

s88304_1 — 2026-06-01 17:15:02 UTC

In early America, journalism was not In early America, journalism was not neutral or detached; it was political, persuasive, and essential to nation-building. Newspapers, pamphlets, and essays helped unify the colonies, spread revolutionary ideas, and shape the debates that formed the United States.

Corrupt business

2026-06-01 17:15:06 UTC

Muckrakes were investagative journalist who gave attention to corrupt business in the 1890's through the 1920's. This led to many laws changing these problems

Nat Turner leads one of the largest slave rebellions in US history

2026-06-01 17:15:07 UTC

Enslaved Virginia man Nat Turner killed the family that enslaved him and led a rebellion against other Virginia slave owners that resulted in over 50 people killed.

Vietnam War

s76134_ — 2026-06-01 17:15:48 UTC

This article was about different key componets in the Vietnam War. 1 componet was at the end of the war America came out to be the biggest emconomic powerhouse. 2 was in 1971 goverment papers known as the Pentagno Papers were leaked. 3 when New York Times posted a part of the papers the US. tried to sue them.

The Civil War in a Journalists Eye

2026-06-01 17:15:53 UTC

The Civil War claimed the lives of approximately 750,000 soldiers and marked a pivotal turning point in American history by abolishing legal slavery. The conflict deeply affected almost every citizen, reshaping the nation's social and political landscape.

Campaign for Women’s Suffrage

2026-06-01 17:17:56 UTC

On June 4, 1919, the US Senate approved the Nineteenth Amendment in the Constitution, letting women get the right to vote. It said: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

In 1848, Frederick Douglas spoke at the Seneca Falls Convention and wrote articles covering women’s suffrage, which had a bigger public awareness.

Women's Rights to vote

s86709 — 2026-06-01 17:18:12 UTC

After lots of protesting, American women finally got their rights to vote. The 19th amendment (The one that says ladies can vote) was officialized in 1920. Thanks to their argument, the US is undoubtedly the Home of the Free.

Accuracy

s76403 — 2026-06-01 17:19:53 UTC

This might be the most important ingredient in journalism because you have to have accurate and trustworthy information to not confuse or throw off the readers. If you provide faulty info then it could cause future problems and make readers htink something is right or true when it is not.

Mental helth

2026-06-01 17:21:07 UTC

Hospitals were overcrowded and had little trained nurses, but Dorothea Dix published statement of how inhuman living conditions were and the cruel staff treatment they were giving. This led to government reforms and a new type of reporting: investagative journalism.

Muckrackers

s76134_ — 2026-06-01 17:21:12 UTC

They were a group of investigative journalist that wrote about corupte businesses, goverment learders and major social promblems.

Jackie Robinson Joins Baseball

s86709 — 2026-06-01 17:24:47 UTC

Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player, joins the Yankees in 1947. Though Robinson his determination was teased and jeered, he has made an opening for all colors to join sports.

Mental Health

2026-06-01 17:26:10 UTC

People that had mental illnesses were not treated carefully and properly. Some were put in prison while others were hidden in attics or sheds by their families to avoid embarrassment. In the 1800s, mental health care was getting better, and more humanitarian efforts were being in effect.

Campaign for Women's Suffrage

2026-06-01 17:26:51 UTC

This campaign is about how the US senate finally passed the law to give women the right to vote. Women were able to do this after fighting back and boycotting.

Thomas Chester - The Only Black War Correspondent for a Major Newspaper

2026-06-01 17:28:06 UTC

Thomas Morris Chester was the only black war correspondent for a major newspaper, Philadelphia Press, was stationed on the frontlines during the Civil War. Thomas was the son of two abolitionists, and, at the start of the war, decided to work for the Fifty-Fifth Massachusetts Colored Regiment as an army recruiter. In 1864, Thomas traveled with the Army of Potomac, and reported on the Union siege of Richmond, Virginia.

Civil War

2026-06-01 17:29:50 UTC

During the Civil War, more people learned to read and write, so newspapers and magazines became more popular. Also, photojournalism became popular, with several notable photojournalists taking photos depicting the horror of the Civil War. Women also published newspapers to lift spirits at home, and abolitionists published papers to raise awareness.

Modern Feminism

2026-06-01 17:33:21 UTC

Gloria Steinem published Ms. magazine based on the ideas of the feminist movement, and was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Esscence was another popular magazine, which highlighted the success of Black women in fashion and business. Women also became popular in TV and modern media. Nancy Dickerson became the first national broadcast journalist for CBS.

Alice Paul

2026-06-01 17:39:19 UTC

She was first struck by the contrast between the academic interest in woman suffrage in america and the lively character of the movement here. Alice was the inventor of the suffrages "hunger strike" and practiced it during her latest term in jail. She didn't regret her contrast and was prepared to do it again. One day she was too ill to be touched. She spent the whole time in bed, because they refused to wear prison clothes. Each day she was taken to another cell to be fed. They fed her by injecting it through the nostrils. They had a big operation to help her.