The book describes the history of early American newspapers in the colonial period, the American Revolution, and the early Republic.[8] Burns credits journalism for shaping the early country's ideals and politics.[9] He argues that partisan reporting and sensationalism are very old practices in the American media:[8] they originated in and were at their worst in the era he explores.[9][10] Most of the book is about the history of the journalists themselves, narrated in a lively style, within which historical analysis is woven.[9]