The gonzo journalist movement was founded by American journalist Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson ( July 18 , 1937 -- February 20 , 2005 ) was an American journalist and author , and the founder of the gonzo journalism movement . Previously a relatively conventional journalist , with the publication in 1970 of The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved he became a counter cultural figure , with his own brand of New Journalism which he termed `` Gonzo '' , an experimental style of journalism where reporters involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become central figures of their stories .