Many students of contemporary journalism argue that news production consists largely of the reproduction of stock stories – the retelling of archetypal narratives already familiar to both journalists and their audiences. The facts may change from year to year; the plot does not. Relying on an archetypal story line, journalists achieve certain efficiencies. They know what facts are needed to make the story work, and they do not need to explain to readers or viewers what the story is “about.” The story helps to organize reality. Moreover, the story line imposes a moral order: When we begin to tell a story, or read a story, we are led to a certain view of how it ought to end.

This sounds very abstract. But at least one of these archetypal narratives will be instantly familiar. Imagine the following story line: Powerful officials abuse their authority and injure innocent people. They attempt to hide their abuses. Tenacious outsiders struggle to reveal the facts, but are thwarted by official indifference and outright obstruction. Ultimately, however, the truth comes out. The citizenry is outraged, and officials are brought to account. Reforms are introduced to prevent future abuses. The story comes to a satisfying conclusion.

It is not difficult to find this story line at work in the American media. A famous example is the Watergate scandal, in which two determined reporters for the Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, exposed the role of the Nixon White House in orchestrating a break-in at the Democratic Party national headquarters and “dirty tricks” during the 1972 presidential campaign.