Mark Twain’s Short Story, ‘Journalism in Tennessee’

“The Farmers and the Newspaper,” 1867, by Albert Anker. (Art Renewal)

In Mark Twain’s day, a newspaper writer constructed news stories to present to the public. Whether full of the plain truth or obvious falsehoods, Twain suggested that we read the newspaper with discernment and, above all, humor.

In his very funny short story, “Journalism in Tennessee,” Mark Twain conveys the power and comedy of the press by recounting his short visit to Tennessee. Twain shows that, for all the power which the press holds, what it turns out should be read with a tongue-in-cheek attitude.

During his visit, Twain is hired as assistant editor for a Tennessee journal, the Morning Glory and Johnson County War-Whoop. Within minutes of entering the office, the chief editor hands Twain an article to edit, “Spirit of the Tennessee Press.”  Twain diligently works on the article and returns it to the editor upon finishing.

In his editing, Twain respectfully details the news about the Tennessee Press. He writes: “We observe that our contemporary of the Mud Springs ‘Morning Howl’ has fallen into the error of supposing that the election of Van Werter is not an established fact [...] He was doubtless misled by incomplete election returns.” Each description of the press comes with a respectful dealing of the facts.

Shots Fired

Yet, upon returning the article to the editor, Twain sees the editor’s face darken. “Thunder and lightning!” the editor exclaims. “Do you suppose my subscribers are going to stand such gruel as that?” With that, the editor seizes a pen and furiously erases and corrects Twain’s work.

The editor hands it back to Twain: “Now that is the way to write—peppery and to the point,“ he says. Twain sees a page covered in fiery marks. In these marks, Twain discerns violent words, wounding descriptions, and terrific insults on the page: ”We observe that the besotted blackguard of the Mud Springs ‘Morning Howl’ is giving out, with his usual propensity for lying, that Van Werter is not elected.“ With titles like ”hell-spawned miscreant,” the editor pens stinging descriptions with fiery barbs.  

However, the stinging words are far less shocking than the brick which flies through the window and hits Twain’s back. The unsurprised editor states that that brick was probably thrown by someone known as the Colonel. A few minutes later, the Colonel steps into the office and challenges the editor to a duel.

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The two men face off, firing guns several times. Although the Colonel gets badly wounded, Twain gets the worst of it. Unfortunately, the troubles are not over for the visiting assistant editor.

Twain’s violent, insulting, and exceedingly funny tale rings with Oscar Wilde’s humorous words in “An Ideal Husband”: “In the old days men had the rack. Now they have the Press.” The press may be slightly torturous, but Twain encourages us to see the comic elements in it.

Twain gives his view in an understatement: “Tennesseean journalism is too stirring for me.” By viewing what the press produces in a humorous light, we glean greater clarity about humanity and can walk away from journalistic falsehoods with a lighter heart and buoyant spirit.

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