Massacre and the Masses: Mark Twain, the Press, and the Reinvention of the Self

Abstract

This article examines Mark Twain’s newspaper hoax “A Bloody Massacre Near Carson” (1863) and its resulting controversy alongside Twain’s comments on the press. By examining Twain’s early journalism, I hope to demonstrate how his comments on the press, when viewed together, questioned the journalist’s ability to report objective truths.