Journalism In The Way Back Machine

I just wish Jay Rosen's blog was an accredited degree-granting program -- it might as well be, it's so damned good. If I read enough posts, surely I qualify for a quickie journalism degree from Rosen U?

So today's class goes all the way back to understand what journalism was, is, and especially why it's so seriously under attack these days.

Historically, journalism emerged from the specific interests of princes, merchants, and administrators. A prince needed to know something of foreign powers, and his ambassador sent him back reports, just as a merchant needed to know of profitable opportunities and conditions of trade.