Bringing together the diverse perspectives of over 20 leading journalism scholars, this collection provides an original insight into the history of American journalism and issues that exist and have existed within the industry for decades.
The culture of journalism is in constant flux, with both individual journalists and the news industry as a whole regularly finding themselves at the center of controversy. While heightened in recent years, such controversy is not new and could in fact be considered a hallmark of the profession. With this in mind, this book presents original perspectives into issues and debates regarding the role of journalism in America, journalistic objectivity and ethics, diversity and representation, war and conflict reporting, local news, fake news, and hostility towards journalists. Each of the seven sections begins with a topical overview and ends with a short essay written by a leader in the field.
Issues in Contemporary American Journalism is recommended reading for anyone studying the history and evolution of journalism in the US at an advanced level.
List of Contributors
Preface
Introduction
Hans C. Schmidt
Part I: The Role of Journalism in America
1. A Brief History of Journalism in the United States
Hans C. Schmidt
2. The Free Press: A Confusing History and Uncertain Future
Gina Baleria
3. How Free and How Responsible? The 75th Anniversary of the Hutchins Commission Report
Lois A. Boynton
Essay: The Importance of Journalism Today
Dane S. Claussen
Part II: Rethinking Journalistic Objectivity and Ethics
4. Journalism Ethics: Dilemmas and Decisions
Maggie Jones Patterson
5. Journalistic Objectivity: A Gold Standard or Myth?
E. S. McIntyre
6. How Journalistic Objectivity Turns Matters of Science into Matters of Politics: A Closer Look at Climate Change and COVID-19 Reporting
Jason Turcotte and Nicolas Hernandez Florez
Essay: When Objectivity Isn’t Enough: A Case Study on Feminicidios, Violence Against Women, and Anti-Violence Activism
Leandra H. Hernández
Part III: Diversity and Representation in Journalism
7. African American Newspapers: The Voice of the Community
Masudul Biswas
8. It’s Everybody’s Problem: Why Journalism’s Macho Culture Persists and How to Help Make it End
Meg Heckman
9. Heroes and Villains? How US News Organizations are Shifting Their Representations of Protesters and Authorities
Jennifer Brannock Cox
Essay: The Uneven History of Diversity in Journalism
Gwyneth Mellinger
Part IV: War and Conflict Reporting in a Multidimensional World
10. The Complicated History of War and Conflict Reporting in the United States
Hans C. Schmidt
11. Media, War, and the Propaganda of Pretext
Oliver Boyd-Barrett
12. Challenges in Terrorism Coverage in the United States
Yiyi Yang
Essay: War Coverage: Perspectives from the Academy to the Field
Sean Aday
Part V: Challenges and Opportunities for Local News
13. Local News in Crisis
Bill Reader
14. Public Access Television: An Untapped Resource for Local News
Antoine Haywood and Victor Pickard
15. The Engaged Student Journalist: A Teaching Hospital Model for the 21st Century
Allison M. Frisch and Gina Gayle
Essay: Building Better Competitive News Environments
John-Erik Koslosky
Part VI: The Real Impact of Fake News
16. Understanding Fake News Today
Larry J. King
17. The Return of Fake News
J. D. Ponder
18. The Evolution of Fake News on Facebook: Truth Disagreements and a Loss of Common Knowledge
Danielle R. Mehlman-Brightwell
Essay: Inoculation Theory and Fake News
Josh Compton
Part VII: Journalistic Trust and Accuracy in an Era of Hostility and Partisanship
19. Hostility Toward the Press: Background and Steps Forward
Kelsey Mesmer and Kaitlin Miller
20. Participatory Journalism: A New Approach for Increasing Public Trust and Engagement
Mirjana Pantic
21. Of Sounder Mind: Considering the Well-Being of Professional Journalists
Avery E. Holton and Valérie Bélair-Gagnon
Essay: Predatory Publishing: What Every Science Journalist Needs to Know
Amy Koerber
Index
Biography
Hans C. Schmidt is an associate professor of communications at Penn State University, Brandywine, and holds a PhD in mass media and communication. He teaches journalism and media classes, and is author of numerous peer-reviewed academic journal articles. His scholarship is primarily focused on journalism, journalism education, and media literacy.
