The Public Press, 1900-1945

(Hardback)

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Description

This work is the fifth volume in the series, The History of American Journalism. By 1906, the nation included 45 states connected by railroads, steamships, wagon trails, the postal system, the telegraph, and the press. The continuing trends of migration and immigration into the cities supported the publication of more newspapers than at any time in the history of the country. From coast to coast, newsgathering agencies knit thousands of local newspapers into the fabric of the nation and larger metropolitan papers routinely considered the relevancy of distant news.

Reviews

Teel offers a useful volume for those interested in how US news organizations affected, interacted with, and were influenced by economic, social, and political events during the first half of the 20th century. Sweeping changes in technology and public attitudes in this period led to rapid developments in the press, and the author covers it all: from muckrakers (a term coined by Teddy Roosevelt) to Murrow's Boys; from a 1901 Ladies' Home Journal poll indicating journalism was no place for women to female correspondents covering WW II; from reporters learning the trade by experience to the establishment of journalism programs and colleges (e.g., Columbia School of Journalism). He looks at how WW I gave rise to higher standards in foreign reporting; how in that war and WW II media personnel struggled with issues of free flow of information (versus voluntary censorship, prior restraint, manipulation, and government propaganda); how journalists responded to public demands for higher levels of professionalism in the media. Students will particularly value biographical sketches of dozens of groundbreaking journalists who helped make US newspapers and radio stations of that era the best in the world. Highly recommended. Lower-/upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; general readers. * Choice *
The Public Press offers a useful overview and analysis of the people, trends, and events that shaped the rise of modern American journalism.[a]n important new book that will serve the needs of historians and students alike. The bibliography and notes are a valuable resource for scholars[e]very reference library should own a copy. Any student or historian doing research on the early 20th century press will find a wealth of useful information. * American Journalism *
Teel considers the nature of American journalism during the period 1900-1945. Drawing upon extensive archival research, he traces the movement of mainstream commercial journalism towards the vision of professionalism and public responsibility articulated by Joseph Pulitzer in 1904. Some attention is also given to minority newspapers and radio, as they also influenced the direction of the media establishment. The final chapter looks at propaganda, censorship, and struggles for freedom of the press during WWII. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

Leonard Ray Teel is Professor, Department of Communication and Director, Center for International Media Education, Department of Communication, at Georgia State University.