Barnhurst (communications, U. of Illinois-Chicago) and Nerone (history of communication, U. of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign) investigate how well US newspapers succeed or fail at providing a source of the public information that is essential for the citizenry to make informed political choices. They argue that such design elements as ways of writing, organization of content, typography, pictures, and space help define the political culture. Early papers, they conclude, invited readers to a town meeting, and contemporary ones invite them to a marketplace. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
This book takes a fresh look at the role of the newspaper in United States civic culture. Unlike other histories which focus only on the content of newspapers, this book digs deeper into ways of writing, systems of organizing content, and genres of presentation, including typography and pictures. The authors examine how these elements have combined to give newspapers a distinctive look at every historical moment, from the colonial to the digital eras. They reveal how the changing "form of news" reflects such major social forces as the rise of mass politics, the industrial revolution, the growth of the market economy, the course of modernism, and the emergence of the Internet. Whether serving as town meeting, court of opinion, marketplace, social map, or catalog of diversions, news forms are also shown to embody cultural authority, allowing readers to see and relate to the world from a particular perspective. Including over 70 illustrations, the book explores such compelling themes as the role of news in a democratic society, the relationship between news and visual culture, and the ways newspapers have shaped the meaning of citizenship.
Winner of the International Communication Association Outstanding Book Award
