There is a saying that “journalism is the first draft of history.” This means that while journalists are not trained historians, what they are reporting today becomes part of the record that future researchers will use as they try to learn more about past times (and past perceptions of events). I’m a media historian, and I’ve found old newspapers and magazines a fascinating resource—a repository of which stories were considered important, and which people were considered newsworthy. They also show me what people believed about “the other,” what the common slang expressions were, how new technologies were received at that time, which celebrities were in the public eye, and which social issues were considered controversial.
Of course, reporters are usually not seeking or researching historical information: they are usually focused on reporting about current events— informing the public about what just happened, when it happened, why it happened, etc. But there are some stories where it can be useful to seek out historical information, especially when trying to put a current event into some context— such as finding out if X ever happened before and what the reaction to it was back then. So, there is actually some truth in the assertion that reporters are creating history. That may not be their intention at the time, but years later, historians and researchers will look at those reports and learn from them.
mbcworld 