The History Division sponsored a “living history” panel during AEJMC 2026 in New Orleans examining how to apply different aspects of journalism history to the present. Below are teaching prompts to consider using in your classroom.

From Autumn Linford and David Bulla:

Journalists have always been real people—and political

We like to think journalists should be neutral—that they MUST be neutral and, therefore, objective—but the truth is they often have more opinions than anybody else, in part because they are better informed than the majority of our citizens. In the American Revolution, it’s easy to label journalists as Tory or Patriot, but the truth is never that black and white. They were actual people whose lives were being blown apart along with their cities. Of course they had opinions.

The press of the Civil War era remained partisan (80 percent of newspapers self-identified as such in 1860). Most never claimed to be apolitical, and in practice were far from it.

Now, in the twenty-first century, the partisan press has returned to the fore. Once again, we see journalism that takes sides, rather than remain neutral. In part that’s because the business model and technology allow for it. It has again become more profitable to promote one side or the other, so owners put their thumbs on the scales and ask  journalists to push one side’s narrative over the other.

A Free Press?

While libertarian notions of a “free press”  have been in America since before the Revolutionary period, the idea that all should be allowed to speak their minds in print was more complicated when put into practice.  During the American Revolution, antebellum and Civil War periods, all sides of the conflicts wanted their voices echoed in the news and supported a free press for their side–but usually only for their side. Patriots, Northerners and Southerners alike wanted their beliefs printed, but sought to silence those who disagreed.

From Teri Finneman and Will Mari:

In 1833, 23-year-old Benjamin Day started the first penny press paper in the U.S. Since then, the business model for newspapers has literally revolved around pennies for the cost of a subscription, which is no longer financially viable in 2026. Many weekly newspapers charge $1 a week still, which breaks down to 14 cents a day for local news. Come up with a new business model proposal for how to fund newspapers.

While we understandably think of our politics–and in particular the fraught interaction between elected officials and journalists–as “unprecedented,” the chaotic era of the party press (from roughly the 1790s through the 1830s) was, if anything, more crazy (Party press era | US Politics & Media in the 1800s | Britannica). What are some ways that our present is like our past? How it different? And what’s one helpful outcome of thinking about these connections, and what’s something that we should be wary of, or at least careful about? 

From Keith Greenwood and Melissa Greene-Blye:

Trust Building and Transparency in Visual Media

*how do you vet/verify images that you see?

*what ethics guide your decision making in your student/professional newsroom?

*when, if ever, is some editing acceptable?

*what role does transparency play in how you engage with your audience?

*are we doing enough media literacy work to educate the current generation?

Draft a transparency statement/philosophy to use in your student/professional newsroom specific to editing of visual elements for digital, online, multimedia, and social platforms. Include not only your newsroom’s original products, but also a policy for reposting/republishing images from other sources.

From Robin Sundaramoorthy and Antoine Haywood:

“We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the publick been deceived by misrepresentations, in things which concern us dearly…” – John Russwurm and Samuel Cornish, founders, Freedom’s Journal, March 16, 1827

In the years following the historic publication of Freedom’s Journal, some 3,000 African American newspapers launched, thrived, and eventually faded. There were approximately 40 African American newspapers and magazines published between 1827 and the end of slavery, and more than 1,800 Black publications appeared between 1880 and 1915. This long tradition in print eventually extended to Black radio, TV, and various forms of digital media.

1.The Black Press has long been a leading voice on race issues and has covered the experiences, achievements, and challenges of African Americans. For this assignment, you will analyze one issue of a Black newspaper from the list below.

● The Freedom’s Journal

● The Woman’s Era (digitized by Emory University)

● The Atlanta Age

● Chicago Defender

● Pittsburgh Courier

● TheAfro-American (Baltimore)

● One Black paper from Chronicling America

After selecting one issue, identify when and where it was first published, who its publisher was, and how long it remained in circulation. Do not rely on Wikipedia. This information can be found through Chronicling America or on the Library of Congress website. Next, write a detailed analysis that addresses one of the following prompts:

A. Describe the advertisements. What products, services, or events are being Highlighted? What do the ads say about the given time period?

B. Analyze the editorials or opinions. What arguments are made?

C. Identify the major themes that appear in the paper.

D. Select a beat and describe the coverage, noting the number of articles, story lengths, and primary topics covered.

2. Watch the documentary The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords. One of the most powerful quotes from the documentary was made by journalist Vernon Jarrett who said: “We didn’t exist in the other papers. We were neither born, we didn’t get married, we didn’t die, we didn’t fight in any wars, we never participated in anything of a scientific achievement. We were truly invisible unless we committed a crime. But in the Black Press, the Negro press, we did get married. They showed us our babies being born. They showed us graduating. They showed our PhDs.”

● Explain this quote.

● What does the phrase “soldiers without swords” mean?

3. For more than a century, African American-owned newspapers, such as the Florida Sentinel Bulletin, functioned as essential pillars for communal awareness and cultural solidarity. As digital media emerged throughout the early 2000s, many of these legacy institutions struggled to navigate the technological shift, ultimately resulting in their closure. In light of the disappearance of these foundational newspapers, what new viable frameworks or community-centered multimedia models could be established to restore that critical infrastructure for public discourse?

4. Historically, Black media relied heavily on local Black-owned businesses, neighborhood stores, churches, and community organizations as advertisers. Today, podcast networks, radio syndication groups, and digital ad-tech algorithms control distribution and ad sales. How do these political-economic structures dictate which Black media outlets survive?

5. Choose a Black-led podcast, Black radio station, or Black syndicated radio show. How does the audio format allow storytellers to fulfill or expand the mission set by early Black Press publications like the Freedom’s Journal?

6. Can you identify influencers and content creators that represent the Freedom’s Journal’s legacy?