ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to break new ground in developing an overview of the historiography of journalism. Rather than returning to well-documented narratives of the historical development of the field from its earliest prototypes through its various technological platforms from broadcast to online, it will examine how histories of journalism themselves have contributed to our understanding of journalism and its social, political, and cultural functions. These historical interpretations tell us as much about the ways society has used journalism as do more traditional narratives.
