I don't think the distinction is as artificial as all that. It wasn't even possible for writers to decide on presentation until DTP came onto the scene. They just typed up their articles and then the person doing paste-up created the presentation.

A lot of tech people don't get this. You see this in web design, where they think HTML and CSS are separate domains. They think CSS is just pretty effects.

Style can convey as much information as text.

Not true that journalism is in the toilet?

My wife was, and all of her friends still are, journalists. They constantly worry and complain about all of the tasks that were once the domain of trained professionals--photographers, editors, designers--being put on the journalist due to budgetary constraints.