Principles of American Journalism

Designed to engage, inspire, and challenge students while laying out the fundamentals of the craft, this textbook introduces readers to the core values of journalism and its singular role in a democracy.

From the First Amendment to Facebook, this popular textbook – now in its third edition – provides a comprehensive exploration of the guiding principles of journalism and what makes it unique. Authors Stephanie Craft and Charles Davis cover the profession's ethical and legal foundations, its historical and modern precepts, the economic landscape of journalism, the relationships among journalism and other social institutions, and the key issues and challenges that contemporary journalists face. They also discuss the current ambiguities and transitions – economic and technological – occurring in the field, from nonprofit news sites to social media’s effects on journalism.

Filled with relevant case studies, exercises, and discussion questions that encourage critical thinking about journalism and its role in society, this book helps students become better-informed media consumers as well as more mindful practitioners of journalism.

The companion website features chapter-by-chapter flashcards, quizzes, and annotated weblinks for students and a separate instructor resource section that features sample test questions, PowerPoint slides, sample syllabi, and chapter-by-chapter activities and discussion questions.

Stephanie Craft is Professor and Head of the Department of Journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She chaired the Journalism Studies faculty at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and previously headed the Journalism Studies Division of the International Communication Association and the Media Ethics Division of AEJMC. Before earning a doctorate, she worked as a newspaper journalist.

Charles N. Davis is the Dean of Grady College at the University of Georgia and was a longtime faculty member at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. A veteran journalist before becoming an academic, Davis also served as executive director for the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) and as director of the University of Missouri Freedom of Information Center.