Influential Journalists Research Articles

Reading the diplomatic reports of Petras Klimas from Paris

Petras Klimas (1891-1969) was one of the creators of independent Lithuania, as well as a historian and diplomat. In 1925-1940, he was the ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania in Paris. The reports of diplomats in their native states are a very important historical source. The largest number of P. Klimas's reports are kept in the Lithuanian State Archives. They are full of information and estimation, which help one better understand the international and internal situation in Lithuania at that time. In confidential reports, P. Klimas used the opportunity to express his independent opinion, which sometimes contradicted the politics and propaganda of the official Lithuanian authority. In the reports, most attention was paid to the attitude of the power of France, people, and mass media on the argument between Lithuania and Poland with respect to Vilnius. The struggle between two arguing states was reflected in them. In this struggle, both Lithuanian and Polish diplomats tried to turn French public opinion to their own advantage, sometimes granting subsidies to some newspapers and journalists. The Poles had larger financial possibilities and influence on French public opinion. Poland was the most important ally of France in Eastern Europe. P. Klimas cited the words of one influential journalist: "Poland never gives Vilnius to Lithuania. Thus, the actions of the French in this direction would mean the instigation of their ally without any necessity." In these conditions, it was difficult for the Lithuanian diplomats to disregard hostile propaganda and disinformation spread by the Poles. The French public opinion malevolently reacted to the coup in Lithuania on December 17, 1926, the liquidation of parliamentarianism, and the strict measures in respect to opposition. That’s why the French mass media benevolently reacted to the resignation of A. Voldemaras, whom the French considered the culprit of the politics of repressions, from the post of Prime Minister in August, 1929. Personally, P. Klimas didn’t support the strict measures, but he tried to serve Lithuania, not one or another political trend. He didn’t see an alternative to the nation’s power.

Theodore H. White and journalism as illusion

In this groundbreaking study, Joyce Hoffmann examines critical twenty-five-year period in the work of one of the most influential journalists of the twentieth century. Theodore H. White was already celebrated reporter when Jacqueline Kennedy summoned him for an exclusive interview in the aftermath of her husband's assassination. With her help, White would preserve what the First Lady claimed had been John F. Kennedy's vision of the New Frontier as an incarnation of that wistful, romantic kingdom--Camelot. Over the years, friends and advisers to Kennedy declared that they had never heard the president speak of Camelot. But White's article, which ran in Life magazine, created myth that still endures in the popular consciousness. That story was just one of many by Theodore White that had lasting impact on the nation. As correspondent for several of the country's most popular magazines, he covered the crucial events of the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. His best-selling book The Making of the President 1960 changed political reporting forever. A gifted and likable man with remarkable skill for ingratiating himself with others, White earned the confidence of key political, military, and diplomatic leaders. First in the Far East, later in Europe, and finally in Washington, D.C., he became confidant and adviser rather than an adversary to the figures he covered for the news, following pattern set by elite journalists. Even as he played the impartial reporter, White kept secrets in order to maintain access to his important sources, and he occasionally allowed his subjects, including John F. Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller, to make changes in his work before publication. Clinging to the illusion of objectivity, White--like other leading journalists in the postwar years--wrote about the world not as it was but as he believed it ought to be. Hoffmann relates the little-known episode in White's career when he intentionally obscured the truth about Chiang Kai-shek's corrupt and inept Nationalist government because he believed that undermining China's cause would be a disservice to democracy. No other book so thoroughly documents how first-rank journalist can become political insider and distort the news without losing the gloss of impartiality that is supposed to accompany the profession. Impressively researched, skillfully written, Theodore H. White and Journalism as Illusion is an unflinching look at key figure in the history of American journalism and at the profession itself.

Paper Bullets

The publication of The Northwest Corner of China (Zhongguo de xibei jiao) in 1936 was a milestone in the history of Chinese journalism. It signified the rise of a new, down-to-earth, first-hand, and personal journalistic style in China. The book became an instant best seller, reaching its eighth printing and selling thousands of copies within a few months.' The popularity and the widespread influence of the book quickly established its young author, Fan Changjiang (19091970), as one of the most influential journalists of his time.2 Published when he was 27, the book showed a talent and style that were to earn him the respect and loyalty of a large audience in later years, and soon became a model that was emulated by his peers and followers: the journalistic instinct for important matters; the personal and witty style; the powerful and lucid agrument; the ability to grasp an intricate mosaic of facts and then present them with coherence, force, sensitivity, and a sense of immediacy. Fan Changjiang was, in every sense, a committed and concerned journalist. He advocated a new journalistic style and sought to establish journalism as a respected profession. He called for accuracy and thoroughness in presenting a story, and for professionalization and

Performance Evaluation of State-Owned Enterprises in Theory and Practice

This study explores the goal orientation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) with a view to develop a behavioral theory of SOEs. It is set in India, where as in many other countries the government expects SOEs to promote the “public interest” rather than maximize profits. The research design consisted in searching for patterns in the subjective evaluations of a set of Indian SOEs by critical environmental actors (senior bureaucrats and influential journalists). The study attempted to get at each respondent's “espoused theory” for performance evaluation as well as his or her “theory-in-use,” and compared both with official goals as well as the prescriptions of welfare economists. Five models of performance evaluation, varying in criteria and weighting schemes, were considered. The results showed—with surprising consistency—that commercial profitability was the most important criterion that explained bureaucrats' subjective evaluations. Lack of comprehensive information seemed to accentuate their reliance on profitability—but not by very much. For a minority of bureaucrats (Type 1), the more important explanation seemed to be their “incorrect” belief that SOEs could be judged like private firms, official policy notwithstanding. For the majority (Type 2), who espoused views consistent with official policy, the explanation seemed to be conceptual confusion or double standards. Both types also behaved as if they would like SOEs to maximize profitability rather than just break even or earn a reasonable return. Some of these findings were true for responding journalists as well. Given these results, managers of Indian SOEs can be expected to seek profits not only to reduce financial dependence on government but also to gain a measure of external legitimacy. Recognizing the importance of profitability as a criterion-in-use, they can be expected to propose strategies that would increase their firm's profitability and resist those that would reduce it, regardless of official goals. Where managers are free to act independently, profitability may prevail as the dominant decision criterion, but where they are not, the outcome may depend on more complex factors. More generally, the profit motive in SOEs may be as strong or stronger than it appeared to be in India in countries with (a) less sophisticated administrative systems or personnel; (b) an official ideology more to the right than in “socialist” India; and (c) a higher proportion of mixed enterprises. The paper concludes with the implications of these findings for the design of performance evaluation systems at the government-SOE interface.

Tokutomi Soho, 1863-1957: A Journalist for Modern Japan

Tokutomi Soho was one of modern Japan's most prolific, most popular, and most influential journalists and social critics. Through a comprehensive and balanced biography of this important public figure, John Pierson examines the interaction of a man and his time.Originally published in 1980.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Frontier and American Institutions a Criticism of the Turner Theory

The predicament of the scholar, who has been living in a comfortable frontier philosophy, is beginning to attract some attention. Nor may we comfort ourselves with the assurance that ours is a purely academic debate. For frontier legends of one kind or another have now so permeated American thought as to threaten drastic consequences. Have not our most influential journalists and statesmen for some time been ringing pessimistic changes on the theme of lost frontier, lost safety-valve, lost opportunity? 1 Such convic-