A study was conducted to examine news coverage of the U.S. withdrawal from Unesco. News reports distributed by the Associated Press, United Press International, New York Times News Service, and Washington Post-Los Angeles Times News Service were studied to determine how adequate a foundation they were providing Americans for independent judgment…

Drawing from the findings of a lengthy study of international news conducted by the American Committee of the International Association for Mass Communication Research at the request of UNESCO, this paper provides information on the system by which news is distributed around the world, on the international news content of four Western news…

Although the suppression in 1917 of "The Masses," an influential Socialist magazine, has been depicted as an American tragedy, such a narrow interpretation ignores the bizarre, confused, often comic developments and episodes that attended the magazine's end. A reexamination of the demise of "The Masses" has been made to show…

Since 1939, legal recognition of the public forum concept has been gradually extended to include the public schools. This expansion of the free speech right has been accompanied by a movement of similar intensity aimed at narrowing the scope of regulatory action that might inhibit First Amendment freedoms. Ultimately, recognition of the public…

The responsibilities and role of the broadcast media in reporting acts of terrorism are examined in this paper. The paper first discusses such topics as new types of television equipment that permit easy and instantaneous coverage of fast-breaking news; television coverage of two 1977 cases in which persons were held hostage by terrorists; and…

The objective of this study was to contribute a quantitative aspect to the Social Responsibility Theory of the Press which will make possible explanation and prediction of relationships between key elements of society and news-opinion media. The 31 tenets of the Social Responsibility Theory were isolated and categorized. Using these tenets, an…

The First Amendment protects editors of school newspapers. Accordingly, school policy should offer students due process rights, and the newspaper adviser, who is instrumental in controlling the content of student publications, should be chosen with care. (TE)

The 17 papers in this collection all deal with 20th-century journalism, journalists, and mass media. The papers and their authors are: "Building One's Own Gallows: The Trade Publications' Reaction to a Federal Shield Law, 1972-1974" (Karla Gower); "The Useful Ogre: Sweden's Use and Views of American Television, 1956-62" (Ulf…

By scrutinizing the extensive and growing literature on media ethics and media codes, as well as the current history of litigation in libel cases, this paper analyzes the risks presented by journalistic social responsibility in the context of expanding tort liability for what might loosely be called journalistic malpractice. Following a review of…

Since gatekeepers have the ability to inform the public about international affairs, it is important to understand gatekeepers' news values and perceptions of the role of the press in society. A study hypothesized that these problems could be subsumed under two dimensions, freedom of the press and development. In a mail survey, subjects, 118…

The 1971 police search of a newspaper office led to the United States Supreme Court's "Zurcher v The Stanford Daily" decision that newspaper offices can permissibly be searched if it is believed that they contain materials that relate to an ongoing criminal investigation. This decision has been viewed by the press as an attack on First…

The way in which Drew Pearson--who was involved in more than 100 libel actions during his nearly 37-year reporting career--fared in the courts and was affected by the ever-evolving libel law is considered in this paper. Among the topics discussed are the 1964 "Sullivan" decision, which held that a public official must prove "actual…

This selection of readings, primarily intended for a college journalism course, discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the major sources of the public news--the wire services, newspapers, and television. The first part of the book deals with the context of mass news and serves as an introduction to some of the crucial ideas shaping thinking…

This document investigates the collegiate press. Part one--The Campus Press--observes the development, expectations and present status of the campus press. Conclusions indicate the need for an independent student newspaper. Part two reviews the law and the campus press, particularly legal distinctions between public and private colleges and…

Considers the way in which Drew Pearson--who was involved in more than 100 libel actions during his reporting career--fared in the courts and was affected by the ever-evolving libel law. (GT)