The Crazy True Story Of America's Stunt Girl Reporters By Kate Sullivan/Feb. 9, 2021 3:47 pm EDT Believe it or not, there once was a time when journalists were celebrities. It wasn't just talking heads on TV or social media influencers, either — these were real investigative journalists risking life and limb to bring you the unvarnished truth about everything from slum life to factory work. In the late 1800s through the 1920s, there was no radio or television — your social media chatter consisted of what you overheard at the store or, if you were rich, at dinner parties. So newspapers were the main way of getting information — and newspaper publishers wanted to sell as many copies as possible.