The University of Missouri Press recently published Randall Sumpter’s new volume, Before Journalism Schools: How Gilded Age Reporters Learned the Rules, in their new series, “Journalism in Perspective: Continuities and Disruptions.” Sumpter’s book uses a community of practice model to describe and to organize the many ways used by late nineteenth century reporters to master the basics of journalism. Sumpter, an associate professor of communication at Texas A&M University, College Station, recently took a few minutes to share some insights about the focus and research process involved in Before Journalism Schools with history division membership co-chair Rachel Grant.
Q: Can you describe the focus of your book?
A: Before the proliferation of journalism schools at public universities, novice reporters had to rely on other sources of information to master journalistic skills. Before Journalism Schools describes those resources and explains how knowledge brokers in the guise of experienced editors and reporters controlled the flow of information through these resource networks.
Q: How did you come across this subject? Why did it interest you?
A: As a young reporter working on my first metro daily, I soon realized that there was more to “doing” journalism than I had learned in college. There were additional rules and other masters of those rules. It soon became apparent to me that I would not survive my initial encounter with journalism without learning the rest of its rule book. My interest in this non-collegiate knowledge, those that controlled it, and how it moved through professional networks became a research interest after I earned my Ph.D.
Q: What archives or research materials did you use?
A: I was lucky! Much of what I needed had been digitized. An internal fellowship from the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research made it possible for me to spend a semester writing the book.
Q.: How does your book relate to journalism history? How is it relevant to the present?
A: Many other scholars have done research in this area, and I would guess many of them had my initial reaction: The late 19th century definition of news and the rules that controlled its application appeared to be highly fluid. How the information was shared seemed chaotic. This book applies the community of practice model from communication to systematically arrange observations and to cut through the chaos. We face similar challenges today as social media refashion our definitions of news, how to find it, and how to write it.
Q: What advice you have for other historians working/starting on book projects?
This was my first book. I was surprised that researching and writing a manuscript are only a fraction of the task. You have to fund those chores, and you have to promote your book. Fortunately, the editors and marketing professionals at the University of Missouri Press patiently exposed me to those additional duties.