The News as It Happened

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About This Exhibit

The 1960s and 1970s, described by reporter Jim Squires as journalism’s golden age, was defined by such iconic cultural and political developments as the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. It was a time when the role of journalists in society had never carried more weight, and a time when the news was valued on a national level. The 1960s and 1970s, described by reporter Jim Squires as journalism’s golden age, was defined by such iconic cultural and political developments as the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. It was a time when the role of journalists in society had never carried more weight, and a time when the news was valued on a national level. Tennesseans Jim Squires, Jack Hurst, Jack Corn, and Charles Bissell rose to prominence during this period, embodying a spirit of insightful and reliable reporting through their respective coverage and careers. Editor and journalist Squires, music journalist Hurst, photojournalist Corn, and political cartoonist Bissell reported on social problems from Appalachian poverty to racial tensions in Nashville. The collective efforts of these journalists and others like them facilitated productive cultural and political discourse that gave way to an informed citizenry and ushered in an era of indispensable news coverage and thought-provoking journalism.

Scrapbook

Creator Jack Hurst

Publisher The Tennessean

Date circa 1975-1980

Language English

Identifier Scrapbook

Source Jack Hurst Collection, Vanderbilt University Special Collections

After returning from the Vietnam War, Hurst rejoined the staff of The Tennessean. He asked his supervisor, John Siegenthaler, if he could cover country music. What began as a three times weekly special became a daily addition to the front page of the paper. Eventually, Hurst would join the Chicago Tribune where his country music coverage would be syndicated. His articles record changes in the music industry as well as events like Johnny Cash’s Leavenworth prison concert.

Curator Skyler Froese: Jack Hurst »

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