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.

Reporter’s Notebook

Date circa 1973

Source Jim Squires Collection, Vanderbilt University Special Collections

Before iPhones or more discreet recording devices, a reporter’s notebook existed as the expected medium to make notes. This is just one of countless other reporter notebooks that Squires kept with him. Just in this one notebook, one can see the wide collection of interviews and sources that Squires documented. Squires wrote on one page: “the President is not involved in Watergate,” which speaks to the amount of journalistic digging Squires did during his investigation.

Press Pass, 1974 »