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19th Century News Articles

This paper will critique two 19th century newspaper articles for their objectivity. The articles chosen were "The Credit Mobilier," in The Edwardsville, and "The Gold Ring," in The New York Herald. Both articles would, in today's media, be considered rather one-sided opinion pieces rather than strict works of objective journalism.

"The Credit Mobilier" is as far from objectivity as it is possible to get. One of the subtitles of the story, which concerns a questionable stock deal in which investors were to profit greatly at the taxpayer's expense, tells the whole story and reveals the lack of objectivity: "Honor Among Thieves in Congress." The article begins with a strident quote that immediately announces the reader's opinion: "the history of the Credit Mobilier is one of the most shameful swindles that ever disgraced a country or a legislature." The article goes on to say that the investor's agent was given free reign to "bribe those members whose vote would be needed to legalize a gigantic fraud." The main part of the article concludes that "nothing is due to the committee" which was investigating the stock deal, because "they have always been inclined to relieve the guilty." Thus, the article presents a wholly one-sided critique of Congress, written from the point of view that Congressmen are thieves and that Congressional Committees are less interested in the truth than in protecting their interests.

"The Gold Ring" is slightly less strident and more objective, but nevertheless by today's standards would be considered an opinion piece. The article begins my mocking two individuals who declare themselves to be speculators, noting that "the speculator, mounting over the ruins of other men's fortunesàsacrifices truth, principle and honoràglorying in his shame and blazoning it forth as something worthy to imitate and admire." The article basically accuses the speculators of treason, noting that they were ready t...

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19th Century News Articles. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 15:48, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1705523.html