How did John Hersey’s Hiroshima influence later literary journalism?

John Hersey’s Hiroshima (1946) is widely recognized as a pioneering work of New Journalism, a movement that gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. By utilizing the techniques of fiction—such as well-developed characters, vivid scenes, and a focus on human immediacy—Hersey transformed how journalists approached factual reporting.123

His influence on later literary journalism was profound in several ways:

• Humanizing Abstract Events: Before Hiroshima, reporting on the atomic bomb often relied on scientific or political abstractions. Hersey shifted the focus to the lived experiences of six survivors, establishing a model for narrative journalism that prioritizes the emotional and subjective lives of individuals.134
• Novelistic Technique: Hersey’s approach demonstrated that nonfiction could possess the force, tone, and intensity of a novel. This paved the way for later practitioners like Truman Capote, whose In Cold Blood further bridged the gap between journalism and fiction.3
• Narrative Immersion: By tracing the daily routines and reactions of his subjects with meticulous detail, Hersey set a standard for the immersive, long-form storytelling that became a hallmark of the New Journalism era.14