Covering the counterculture: How a rebellious era shaped journalism

During the 1960s, America’s Cold War era monoculture was shattered by the arrival of birth control pills, civil rights protests, anti-war riots, LSD, rock & roll, and an unprecedented upsurge in youthful rebellion. As the Bay Area emerged as ground zero for this constellation of revolutionary movements, Rolling Stone magazine was created to document stories that the mainstream media was either ignoring or not taking seriously. Rolling Stones’ contributors were immersed in the scenes they covered and helped translate what happened here for the rest of the country, and for future generations. Peter Richardson's new book “Brand New Beat: The Wild Rise of Rolling Stone Magazine” (UC Press) explores this still-controversial time period and seeks to understand the true legacy of “the long sixties.” Listen now to hear our conversation about the political potential of music, the rise and fall of the hippies, and much more. To see photos and links related to this episode, visit: Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: Donate to keep this show alive:

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Covering the counterculture: How a rebellious era shaped journalism is an episode from East Bay Yesterday by East Bay Yesterday.

This episode is 01:11:09 long.

This episode was published on Apr 1, 2026.

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