Ciara Hughes

Jean Paul Sartre: Existentialism in Public Journalism: the Effectiveness of Existentialism As a Methodological Tool in Civic Journalism Ciara Hughes

Jean-Paul Sartre was ?The Father of Modern Existentialism?and his theories are highly regarded in academic debate. What is neglected by many studies on Sartre however is the contribution he made to journalism (particularly public/civic journalism)for a period in his remarkable life. For three decades, Sartre held a prestigious position in the intellectual world and his political and social printed commentaries were received internationally for discussion. A fascinating thinker and writer,he wrote on every world crisis between the 1940?s and 1970?s - all critically analysed through his monthly journal, Les Temps Modernes, or other large publications. As such, it can be noted that he was one of the early believers in a methodological public journalism to be used to better politics and society. He left behind some valuable techniques for social analysis and he embodied a spirit that always wished better for humanity. The argument of this study is that Sartre was an excellent example of civic journalism in action. He intuitively grasped the concept and power of the platform and his existentialism was an invaluable tool to his method of civic writing.