A Media Circus

[ La Presse 17 avril 1920, La Presse (Montréal), Socami ]

In the twentieth century, the press presented and exploited "news items" on its pages. Homicides, suicides, murders and crimes of passion were often presented in great detail on the front page, beneath eye-catching headlines. A wave of highly sensational articles flooded several Quebec newspapers during the trials of Houde and Gagnon in the spring of 1920.

We have reproduced in our "virtual archives" several of these articles, drawn from La Presse, Le Devoir, Le Soleil and La Tribune. In addition, you can refer to photographic reproductions of the headlines, whose dramatic layout served to draw the greatest number of readers possible. Media coverage and its quest for the sensational sometimes became the cause of debate between two newspapers. This was the case, for example, when Le Soleil accused La Presse of blaming the Crown prosecutor for his lack of action. You can read this debate, as well as other articles of a sensational nature, in this section of the site.

Newspaper or Magazine Articles