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.

“I Want You to Go to the Polls and Vote”

Creator Charles Bissell, 1908-2000

Contributor The Tennessean

Publisher The Tennessean

Date 1976-1985

Type political cartoon

Language English

Source Charles Bissell Collection

In this political cartoon Charles Bissell uses the image of a young Al Gore to get the message out on the importance of voting. Al Gore served as a Representative from Tennessee from 1977 to 1985 and as Senator from 1985 to 1993, and then as Bill Clinton’s Vice-President from 1993 to 2001. In 1971, he worked as a reporter for The Tennessean covering corruption within the Nashville Metro government. In 1974, Gore left The Tennessean to attend Law School at Vanderbilt University but withdrew from school in 1976 to run for Congress.

Charles Bissell »