The New Journalism
Substack Ushers in a New Era of Journalism
By PHoliday
Do you remember the New Journalism movement of the ’60s and 70’s that pushed journalism from its former constraints into a bold new world that defied censors, corporations, and legacy media? Remember, the New Journalism that expanded on the facts to bring faces and viewpoints that were totally vilified to the forefront (Capote famously heard and wrote about the killers view for “In Cold Blood”) through a writer’s distinctive voice and lens? Non-fiction storytelling that is interesting, factual, and moving. Yes, please!
If you don’t know about the New Journalism Era, read about it here.
I know all about this kind of journalism, as it drew me in deep and has held my attention and writing ambitions for the past 20 years. I studied it to prepare for a career as a writer, often enamored by Tom Wolfe, Truman Capote, and Hunter Thompson, eating their work as an antidote to the often boring and uninspired traditional “five W’s” of journalism. Now I crave the simple factual, informed, OBJECTIVE journalism, as it seems everyone (even me!) has an agenda. The removal of all the facts, interviews from both sides of a debate, and telling all sides has dominated the journalism landscape for many years.
And so, when offered either politically motivated mainstream slant, I recoil in horror. Instead, I have taken to the Modern Journalism Era. This era of Substack Writers working solely for the readers, and a far way from corporations or advertisers agenda, is where I have found a delightful marriage of the Five W’s of traditional journalism and the Gonzo type New Journalism of storytelling in the most vigilante-type style.
Interview the people that mainstream media deems “BAD PEOPLE” who should not have a voice. And in turn, expose the truth that gets buried under big bold lies.
Thank you to Substack for offering the platform and holding strong.
I join the ranks of writers here for all the reasons that I stopped writing for the public. I have something extra to say, to contribute to the era of Modern Journalism. I hope you’ll read along with us.
Ruminations to cover include:
Modern genocide/ETP
Pushed into isolation and abandonment in the name of healing
Where have all the Midwives gone (or is this just a local thing)