Taking James Carey's discussion as the source, the Reform Movement of Journalism History Research, which sprang up in the 1970s, promoted the study of American journalism history walking out of traditional linear and progressive Whiggish paradigm. David Nord continued Carey's path of cultural history of journalism, and further focused it on institution history of journalism represented by reading history. He redefined the connotation of “journalism” and “journalism history” and elucidated the community spirits in North American journalism tradition from two dimensions of “the communities of production” and “the communities of reception” in his book Communities of Journalism. His study on journalism history attempts to integrate literary criticism, history, communication and sociology to establish a new history of communication that takes into account both humanism and social sciences. Considering the endemicity of his view on journalism history, domestic researches should pay attention to the feasibility and rationality when drawing inspiration from it.