National News and the Nation is a chapter in the report Newspapers and the Making of Modern
America by Aurora Wallace, published by Greenwood Publication.
Wallace, a Canadian, is an associate
professor with the department of Media, Culture and Communication at New York
University. She obtained a B.A. in mass communication at Carleton University, a
M.A. and a Ph.D. in communications at McGill University. Her research interests
include 19th and 20th century American newspaper as evidenced with her publications
National News and the Nation and Media Capital, which focus on
the history of US newspapers.
Wallace’s degrees and interests are significant
because it confirms her role as an authority. Her current profession is equally
important as it shows that her article may have had been written for an
academic purpose, perhaps to enhance her credibility by writing on subjects relevant
to her line of work. Likewise, she may have written her apt article for a course
she teaches – Twentieth Century American Newspapers. Indeed, according to a
written interview from NYU, Wallace wanted to explain how newspapers have
shaped “communities, towns, regions, and … the nation” during the 20th
century in the US.
Wallace’s article focuses on the following
newspapers: The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal,
and USA Today. This is because they are significant in the US newspaper
industry – indeed, according to the Alliance for Audited Media, these
newspapers appeared on the list of top 10 most read newspapers in the USA.
Another reason may be because each newspaper seemingly focuses on a different
category.
The written nature of Wallace’s article is
academic – Wallace provides a detailed historical account by utilising and uniting
various publications/sources. Moreover, Wallace avoids bias/opinion by
utilising older publications and avoiding the first person narrative. Ergo,
Wallace appears to have written for those interested in the history of
newspapers/mass communication in America and those interested in how newspapers
have shaped modern US society. To that end, Wallace puts stunning details on the
histories of the various newspapers along with that of American history.
Nonetheless, questions are raised from further
research. As a Canadian, Wallace may not be entirely familiar with all US
newspapers that have affected America on a national level. She merely focuses
on four newspapers, failing to give even a cursory review/summary on other
newspapers which may have affected America. Moreover, a review/article by
Jeffrey L. Paisley notes that the histories of newspapers were presented in a
“dry” manner and that while Greenwood Publication is a ‘venerable institution,’
and trusted amongst journalism schools, is not particularly trusted with
history departments.
In retrospect, this article may be
interpreted with credence – Wallace’s chapter shows objectivism and shuns away
her opinions. However, very few reviews on Wallace’s report were found, and the
one that I could find took a rather critical stance towards her report. Accordingly,
readers should consider other newspapers that may have also affected America,
perhaps by looking at the various sources Wallace has cited. Hopefully readers
may realise that other newspapers may have affected the US and potentially verify
dubious claims.
Links/Sources:
Frequently read newspapers: http://abcas3.auditedmedia.com/ecirc/newstitlesearchus.asp
Biographies/Aurora Wallace: http://mediaresearchhub.ssrc.org/aurora-wallace/person_view
Article/Review by Jeffrey L. Paisley: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-6563.2008.00227_35.x/full
No comments:
Post a Comment