The Barren Honor:

Four Newspapers’ Coverage of Journalist Horace Greeley

as U.S. Presidential Candidate in 1872

 

Gary Hornseth

University of Minnesota

 

 

Abstract

 

 

This paper, part of thesis research examining newspaper treatment of the campaign of Horace Greeley as he opposed incumbent President U.S. Grant in the unusual election of 1872, reports findings in coverage by four leading Eastern U.S. newspapers during four critical periods of the campaign by Greeley – the first journalist to be an official nominee of a major political party (and, in this case, nominated by two major political parties) for the U.S. Presidency.

Research focuses on 1) how journalists covered a fellow journalist seeking the U.S. Presidency, and 2) whether ethical issues were raised regarding the propriety of a journalist running for political office, let alone the highest office in the land. Coverage was studied in four 1872 newspapers of varying political persuasions – the pro-Republican New York Times, the pro-Democrat New York World, the pro-Liberal Republican New York Tribune, and the pro-Republican, African-American New National Era.

Greeley’s fellow journalists: 1) generally avoided mention of, or made allowance for, Greeley’s status as an editor in considering his value as a candidate, but 2) tended to equate Greeley’s printed legacy of opinion on major issues of the day with an actual political record, and 3) with few exceptions, did not raise ethical concerns about Greeley’s status as a journalist-turned-candidate.