How the Press Shaped History: Muckrakers, PR, & the Digital Age | RER 482

How the Press Shaped History: Muckrakers, PR, & the Digital Age | RER 482

From Red Eye Report by Red Eye Report

June 7, 2026 · 56 min · Episode 152

About this episode

This episode explores the history of journalism, focusing on the impact of early newspapers, sensationalism, and the evolution of media in the digital age.

In this episode, we dive deep into the fascinating, scandalous, and world-changing history of journalism. We explore how early newspapers fueled revolutions, how media tycoons like Hearst and Pulitzer invented sensational "yellow journalism" to drive profits, and how a fearless group of investigative reporters known as the "Muckrakers" exposed corporate monopolies and horrific working conditions to change American law forever. We also uncover the dark side of early public relations—including how PR experts rebranded the KKK in the 1920s, and how investigative journalists fought to expose them. Finally, we break down the philosophical debates of the broadcast era and look at the massive digital disruption that is reshaping who tells the news today. theredeyereport.com

People in this episode

Host: Red Eye Report

Topics covered

  • journalism
  • history
  • media
  • investigative reporting
  • public relations
  • digital disruption

Keywords

  • journalism
  • Muckrakers
  • yellow journalism
  • public relations
  • digital media
  • investigative journalism
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hearst, Pulitzer, KKK, Muckrakers

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