1968 New Left, New Journalism

'New Journalism', by Tom Wolfe was a sort of manifesto explaining the ongoing change in journalism as writing. Wolfe basically wanted to mix literary techniques with journalism to document in a more effective manner, wanting to emphasize the idea of realism and instinct in journalists.

He had four suggestions for doing so -

1) Scene by Scene Construction 

Journalists should witness the events first hand then relay/recreate them for the reader.

2) Dialogue

The use of dialogue defines and establishes character at the same time as involving the reader.

3) The Third Person

Journalists should treat protagonists in their story like characters in a novel, for example thoroughly investigate the motives and thoughts behind the people.

4) Status Details

Surroundings were increasingly important for stories - what people surround themselves with - so as the reader we can look at people the way they look at themselves.

The climax of all of this was the introduction of "Gonzo" journalism, the idea that the journalist should fully submerge themselves into the story in order to really understand and report it to their full potential and advantage. Hunter S. Thomspon was the pioneer of this movement in journalism, wanting to really reflect the atmosphere and the energy of the time, particularly shown in 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', really capturing the essence of the never-ending journey to the American Dream and indeed the drug culture at the time.

The idea of New Journalism was to blur the lines between fiction and non-fiction in the trade, and to evoke thought and reaction from both consumers and other journalists.