The Making of McPaper: The Inside Story of How USA Today Made It

In 1982 the Gannett Company, the nation's biggest newspaper chain, launched USA TODAY. USA TODAY celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2007. The brainchild of Al Neuharth, it was the most expensive, most closely watched newspaper debut in history. Journalists called it "McPaper," the "titan of tidbits," and "junk-food journalism." No newspaper executive had ever put so many millions and so many careers on the line. This updated edition of Peter S. Prichard's acclaimed 1987 release includes an afterward by longtime USA TODAY writer and editor David Colton. This updated section completes the story of the first century of "The Nation's Newspaper." Colton catches up with the founders and examines the journalistic achievements that have gained "McPaper" respect. Readers of USA TODAY - millions of them - will find this a fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of the battle to build a newspaper that has grown to redefine modern journalism. Readers of business histories will find it a classic case study of a bigrisk, big-reward business start-up.