How did narrative journalism develop during the late 19th century?

During the late 19th century, narrative journalism emerged as a significant cultural phenomenon in the United States, fueled by a period of rapid industrialization, massive immigration, and the nationalization of American life. At this time, the boundaries between literature and journalism were porous, allowing writers to move fluidly between the two fields.1

Driven by a desire to interpret an increasingly complex world, journalists and fiction writers turned their attention to the realities of modern urban life. They acted as ethnographers, documenting the sights, sounds, and social diversity of cities, with a particular focus on the living conditions of immigrant populations and the plight of the urban poor. Prominent figures such as Jacob Riis, Stephen Crane, and Theodore Dreiser were instrumental in this movement, using their work to introduce wider audiences to the social challenges of the era.12

While this period was a formative era for narrative reporting, it preceded the professionalization of journalism in the early 20th century, which eventually led to a temporary separation of literary techniques from standard news practices.1