How Britain and the Web Are Changing Stuffy American Journalism

From Toby Harden, at Telegraph UK:

Often caught between the two, I’ve always been fascinated by the differences between journalism in Britain and the United States. One of the most striking things is the contrast between the self-image of journalists on either side of the Pond. In Britain, journalists (who prefer the term “hacks”) mostly view themselves as grubby tradesmen, living proof of Nicholas Tomalin’s dictum that “the only qualities essential for real success in journalism are rat-like cunning, a plausible manner and a little literary ability”.

In the US, journalists have traditionally been much more self-important, viewing themselves as part of a noble profession to be venerated and respected in the same way as doctors, lawyers and accountants. They have tended to see themselves as part of the Establishment. The difference has often been on display at White House press conferences, with long-winded, respectful, often pompous American questions contrasting with short, aggressive and impertinent British questions (which sometimes elicit much better answers).

While British newspapers have always been opinionated and agenda-driven, American newspapers, on their news pages at least, have always stuck to the notion of disinterested objectivity. Articles are longer, worthier and more academic. Americans would counter that on the whole they’re more accurate and fair.

All these divisions are becoming blurred now, largely because of the web. The pithier, more sardonic and opinionated British style lend itself to the web (look at how much British stuff gets on Drudge). American readers are increasingly exposed to british reporting – a huge proportion of the Telegraph’s web traffic comes from the US.

And there’s a bit of a British expansion going on in US journalism. Tina Brown’s Daily Beast is on the up. Piers Morgan is taking over from Larry King on CNN. Emily Smith, formerly of The Sun, is Page Six editor at the New York Post. The main reporter on the National Enquirer’s John Edwards scoop was Alexander Hitchen, a Fleet Street veteran. Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post is Greek-born but she spent her formative years in Britain.

Perhaps related to the breaking down of the divide between British and American journalism is the blurring of the old distinction between print and the web. Some very big names are moving to web-only outlets. Tina Brown recently hired Howard Kurtz at the Beast while Howard Fineman and Peter Goodman have gone to the Huffington Post. The journalistic trend in the US is away from the insider, access-based American model towards the iconoclastic, reporting-with-attitude British model ...