The Press (Institutions of American Democracy) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195309146 ISBN 13: 9780195309140

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2006

Synopsis

American democracy is built on its institutions. The Congress, the presidency, and the judiciary, in particular, undergird the rights and responsibilities of every citizen. The free press, for example, protected by the First Amendment, allows for the dissent so necessary in a democracy. How has this institution changed since the nation's founding? And what can we, as leaders, policymakers, and citizens, do to keep it vital?

The freedom of the press is an essential element of American democracy. With the guidance of editors Geneva Overholser and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, this volume examines the role of the press in a democracy, investigating alternative models used throughout world history to better understand how the American press has evolved into what it is today. The commission also examines ways to allow more voices to be heard and to improve the institution of the American free press.

The Press, a collection of essays by the nation's leading journalism scholars and professionals, will examine the history, identity, roles, and future of the American press, with an emphasis on topics of concern to both practitioners and consumers of American media.

About this title

About the Author

Geneva Overholser is the Curtis B. Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Reporting, Missouri School of Journalism Washington Bureau. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Ph.D., is the Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania; Director, Annenberg Public Policy Center. Series edited by Jaroslav Pelikan, Yale University and University of Pennsylvania.

From Booklist

This second volume in the series Institutions of American Democracy takes a close look at the role of the press in a democracy through a collection of essays by journalists and scholars. The essays examine the orientation of the press in a democracy, the function of the press in democracies, the government and the press, the structure and nature of the American press, and the future of news and journalism. The collection is aimed at correcting mistaken impressions about American media, inside and outside of the U.S., that mainstream conventional journalism is the only "legitimate" journalism; that journalism as practiced currently in the U.S. is the only valid model; and that American journalism is not affected by journalistic trends and developments in other nations. The essayists consider the role of the press as watchdog in a democracy, the importance of advocacy journalism in protecting the rights of minorities, alternative models for news delivery, the growing trend toward profit-oriented media monopolies, and the function of the press in wartime. Vanessa Bush
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About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0195309146
• ISBN 13: 9780195309140
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 473
• Editor: Overholser Geneva, Jamieson Kathleen Hall