From enlightened participation to liberal professionalism: On the historiography of the press as a resource for legitimacy

Författare

Patrik Lundell

Redaktör

Anders Ekström
Solveig Jülich
Frans Lundgren
Per Wisselgren

Summary, in English

The article presents and analyses the editorial ideals and practices of the Enlightenment press with regard to their participatory elements. The decline of these ideals and practices, during the era of the establishment of the modern press in the 1820s, 1830s and 1840s, is discussed with regard to its advocates’ self-legitimating ambitions. These professional efforts were carried out in various ways, including either simply ignoring their precursors or emphasizing the non-participatory qualities of their own enterprise. The great influence of these modern editors’ narratives on both past and present is tracked up to the present day.

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