1890-1970
Dean of Columbia Graduate School of Journalism

Freedom of the Press.

One of the first systematic instructors of journalism in the United States, Carl William Ackerman was moved by the belief that if the press does not police itself, it will be policed from outside. Therefore, he saw a great need for journalistic education to enhance potential journalists' understanding of press etiquette and standards. Influenced by his days as a war correspondent, he perceived that an unsystematic presentation of the news leads democracies to horrible wars.

Early Work.

Ackerman's work as a journalist began in 1915 when, during World War I, he was a correspondent for the United Press. In 1917 he became a special writer for The New York Tribune, reporting on France, Spain, Switzerland, and Mexico. In 1917 he also began writing for the Saturday Evening Post. By 1919 he was in Siberia with the Allied...