Famous American Journalists

America as a nation is known for the considerable press freedom allowed to its journalists. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, became one of the nation’s early journalists when he started a successful newspaper in Philadelphia. Another one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Thomas Paine also ventured into journalism in the wake of American independence. The rise of the wire services in the 19th century had a profound effect on American journalism. Prominent personalities like Charles Anderson Dana, William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer revolutionized the world of journalism with their innovations. Also in the 19th century, Samuel Cornish and John Brown Russwurm started the first African-American periodical called ‘Freedom's Journal’ to support and uplift the black community. In the 20th century, Bob Woodward revitalized and popularized the concept of investigative journalism while Norman Kingsley Mailer emerged as a proponent of the alternative press movement. The growing impact on the internet in the 21th century has given birth to newer forms of journalism with the likes of Evan Smith co-founding online investigative newsrooms. This section provides you information about the life and works of famous American journalists.