Stunt Journalism

Stunt journalism was a style of journalism common in the 19th century that involved the journalist’s immersion in a story, sometimes under a false identity. Although often disparaged as little more than sensational storytelling, the history of stunt journalism is far more complicated as the way it is perceived is often a consequence of its results. As such, journalists who have engaged in it often found themselves either hailed as societal reformers or dismissed as little more than con artists or paparazzi who manipulated events to fit the narrative they wanted to tell in their stories. Even so, the practice has informed the development of journalism and shades of it still exist today. This entry discusses some notable examples of stunt journalism and successor forms ...