The 1830s marked a lush first flowering of democratic journalism in America--participatory journalism of the sort that Alexis de Tocqueville heralded. But contrary to standard journalism history, this democratic press had nothing to do with the rise of the penny press; in fact, William Lloyd Garrison's abolitionist paper, "The…

A study focused on isolating the differences in perceptions community newspaper editors have about the functions of their newspapers, and determining how those attitudes affect the editors' definition of news and, ultimately, the content of the newspapers. The study hypothesized (1) that the perceptions community newspaper editors have toward the…

To let newspaper researchers know the information sources used for various applications and the value of each of the sources, 122 Newspaper Research Council members were surveyed in February 1988 (with a 75% response rate). Questions concerned the frequency of use of various listed sources, and the value, location, and applications for each…

Guidelines for organizations to follow when submitting news releases to a newspaper are provided. These include the following: (1) when submitting a news release, put name, address, and telephone number on it; (2) don't submit lengthy, overly detailed news releases; (3) don't submit news releases that are incomplete; and (4) be accurate. (DB)

In order to discover whether there were any differences in negative attitude intensity between the Soviets and Chinese toward United States involvement in the Vietnam war, the Soviet and Chinese English language media broadcasts concerning United States war participation were subjected to a content analysis. The focus of the study was on two…

Findings from a 1971-72 North Carolina statewide survey focusing on the newspaper nonreader were compared with results from a similar statewide survey taken in 1961-62 in Wisconsin. Although there were limits to how precisely the two sets of data could be compared, the findings demonstrated that the type of person who chose not to read a newspaper…

Choosing six Mexican newspapers representing an ideological range from liberal to conservative, a study analyzed the content of the newspapers' editorials and political columns from 1951 through 1980. Data established that Mexican newspapers, contrary to many critics' judgments, criticized government policies and political figures. They did,…

While the typical pantheon of journalism history heroes is made up almost entirely of individuals who campaigned for more governmental regulation and increased social liberalism, there is also an opposing tradition in American journalism, one based on the premise that governmental cures are in most cases worse than the diseases they are designed…

Holding enormous if controversial power as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), J. Edgar Hoover was sometimes controlled unexpectedly at the highest reaches of government, as illustrated by his failed attempt to obtain an Espionage Act indictment against the black press during World War II. Following anarchist bombings in 1919,…

To begin to pinpoint the forces at work in prize journalism, a study examined the value that managing editors of daily newspapers place on awards. Whether editors agree with their papers' awards policies and what they feel most affects reporters' attitudes about contests were also explored. In October 1984, questionnaires were mailed to 317…

Addressing issues of the provincial journalist's role in developing countries, a study interviewed 54 journalists throughout the Philippines during the height of the Philippine Revolution. In unstructured interviews, journalists were asked about their own views on what the role of the press in national development should be, as well as questions…

A descriptive study based on Egyptian law, printed sources, and interviews clarifies our picture of the Egyptian Press by examining its status as a constitutionally mandated "Fourth Estate." The constitutional amendment, the resultant Egyptian Press Law, and the "Law Of Shame" (all passed in 1980), are designed to create a…

Documents about the conditions and problems faced by the reporters of the Spanish-American War show that this war was particularly difficult to report, and that a historical misconception exists about journalism of the 1890s. Efforts to understand the reportage of the late nineteenth century in the United States are complicated by what has been…

The editorials about four Vietnam War news events that appeared in five newspapers were examined for content, tone, page placement, and length to discover what trends in editorial coverage occurred. The 131 editorials that were examined appeared in the "New York Times," the "Los Angeles Times," the "Wall Street…

A return to excellence and ethics can end the bashing of the press and earn it respect. H. L. Mencken was an outstanding press-basher. One problem he identified is that journalists see themselves as professionals, when they are no more than "hired hands" unable to control admission to the craft. A solution Mencken offered was to improve…