Mainstreams of American Media History

This introduction to media history captures the excitement and personality of ideas, events, and people who made it happen. With a chronology that emphasizes a narrative style, anecdotes, and a selection of ideas, the chapters of this book are devoted to certain movements in American history and the role of media in them. Events and personalities are interpreted in the context in which they existed. Therefore, both the negative and positive aspects of issues, events, and people who influenced media history are presented. Selection of subjects is made on the basis of what is significant, interesting, and worth remembering. Students will find, for example, the “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” column as well as William Allen White's tribute to his daughter at her death. Basic themes that run through the course of media history are identified by subheads in each chapter, and questions for discussion and research are at the end of each chapter.