Taking Their Political Place: Journalists and the Making of An Occupation

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Description

Early in the 19th century the work of American newspaper journalists was intertwined with the work of politicians. Journalists were primarily printers and editors, and newspapers were largely political organs, funded and used by politicians for political reasons. As the 19th century progressed, not only journalists, but politicians, were involved in newspaper work. Dooley explores the transformation of journalism, examining how journalists established occupational boundaries separating their work from that of politicians. She focuses on how an occupational group that had been inseparable from party politics early in the 19th century grew to be seen by many in society as more distant and independent from parties by the end of the century and became accepted as the citizenry's primary provider of political news and editorial opinion. This study of how journalists established occupational boundaries will be of interest to scholars and researchers of journalism history, political communication, and the sociology of work.

Reviews

A significant contribution to journalism history; highly recommended for all academic and professional collections.-Choice
This book would seem to be most useful as a supplementary text or reference for a journalism history course in journalism and mass communications programs, or as a required text for courses in the sociology of occupations or political journalism.-Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
This scholarly book, which began as a dissertation, examines the development of American journalism, explaining how work in the field was transformed into an occuipation....Still, the book's unique approach and fresh insights force readers to think, ponder, and study. Taking Political Place is a stimulating source about the field's early development.-Journalism History
"A significant contribution to journalism history; highly recommended for all academic and professional collections."-Choice
"This book would seem to be most useful as a supplementary text or reference for a journalism history course in journalism and mass communications programs, or as a required text for courses in the sociology of occupations or political journalism."-Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
"This scholarly book, which began as a dissertation, examines the development of American journalism, explaining how work in the field was transformed into an occuipation....Still, the book's unique approach and fresh insights force readers to think, ponder, and study. Taking Political Place is a stimulating source about the field's early development."-Journalism History

Author Bio

PATRICIA L. DOOLEY is Assistant Professor at the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas.