Sowing the Seeds of Revolution

"That rebellion would have been imposible without the spur of the press."

-A Revolutionary historian on the power of the press

"These are the times that try men's souls."

-Thomas Paine, Crisis essays

     As Rodger Streitmatter stresses so emphatically in his Mightier Than The Sword, those who pursue a career in journalism are not the decision makers of a nation, or even able to initiate immediate change. However, there has not existed a greater catalyst for reform and revolution than the steady flow of information these journalists provide, as they not only provide the knowledge to the masses that they may not be able to obtain otherwise (or might even possibly refuse to see for themselves), but inspire and encourage their readers to take this information and act upon it.

     In fact, our nation ultimately obtained its independence thanks in no small part to the incessant provocation and rally rousing of some of our earliest American journalists, such as Sam Adams and Thomas Paine. Through their emotionally and politically charged written word, these men incited their fellow colonists to remove their blindfolds to the atrocious oppression imposed upon them from across the sea, and as emotions and frustrations began to run high, tuned these wild, enraged responses into an actual, formulated revolution.

Sam Adams, the man himself

     Sam Adams, a Harvard graduate and cousin of John Adams, first earned respect and readership in his criticisms of the British empire in the Boston Gazette. Here, he wrote hundreds of essays and articles, bringing into the realm of a written word a fiery intensity to accompany his radical ideals. As was commonplace, Adams often tackled the issues regarding Britain's heavy taxation of the colonies, and eventually collaborated with his fellow radicals from the Boston Gazette to seek an ultimate solution. It was this group of rebellious men that first proposed the idea of separating from the Mother Country and becoming an independent nation, an idea that was initially surrounded in controversy and disdain.

     Adams followed up with his "Journal of Occurrences" in September of 1768. Its debut coincided with the arrival of the troops Britain sent to quell the early protests that Adams and the like had already begun to inspire, and to remind the colonies that they were still the ones in charge. The "Journal of Occurrences" was just that, a daily log of the horrifying and disgusting antics of said British Troops. Although the allegations presented were eventually proven mostly false, or at the very least grossly over-exaggerated, it succeeded in expelling these unwanted soldiers from Boston in August of 1769.

Thomas Paine, in the flesh

     Of course, while not trying to downplay the importance of the work of Sam Adams and his colleagues, none could truly surpass the example of journalistic influence that Thomas Paine set in stone. Paine was discovered by Benjamin Franklin during Franklin's stint as an American spokesperson in Britain, and was no more than a disgruntled tax collector struggling to make end's meet. Encouraged by the man, Paine set off for American soils, arriving in Philadelphia in November of 1774. He began his journalistic career after being offered a job as an editor for the Pennsylvania Magazine, but his most notable achievement was his pamphlet entitled Common Sense. It was thanks to this written work that Paine swayed the American people to abandon all hopes for simply restoring and preserving their rights as British citizens, and to fight instead for their own independence as a country. Following Common Sense, Paine was regarded as so influential to the American people that he was implored by none other than General George Washington to employ his talents to bolster the spirits of those fighting through the harsh winters. These essays came to be known as the Crisis essays, and were doled out when the need arose for some passionate motivation.

   Now, one may wonder, who cares about journalism's impact on the Revolution? All that matters is that we fought the good fight, one the good fight, and centuries later we remain one of the world's superpowers, right? Wrong. Journalists were only getting started then, and these men simply set precedent for the future generations of journalists. Take the Occupy Wall Street movement for example. These modern protesters have quickly become a news media staple of today, with conservative outlets mocking and scorning their efforts, while the more liberal based media praise them, if not even join them at rallies. With many in the nation still quite oblivious to the true goals at the heart of the movement, the media stands to make a direct and humongous impact on the outcome of it all, as they decide what information to provide to the masses and even how they wish to present it. It is up to us and the future generations still to come to maintain a high standard of journalistic integrity, walking in the footsteps of our revolutionary founding fathers of journalism, and not those seeking to warp the field to their will for wealth and fame.

Occupy Wallstreet

All images from Wikipedia, and all are part of the public domain.