Issues in Contemporary American Journalism

Hans C. Schmidt is an associate professor of communications at Penn State University, Brandywine, and holds a PhD in mass media and communication. He teaches journalism and media classes, and is author of numerous peer-reviewed academic journal articles. His scholarship is primarily focused on journalism, journalism education, and media literacy.

List of Contributors

Preface

Introduction

Hans C. Schmidt

Part I: The Role of Journalism in America

1. A Brief History of Journalism in the United States

Hans C. Schmidt

2. The Free Press: A Confusing History and Uncertain Future

Gina Baleria

3. How Free and How Responsible? The 75th Anniversary of the Hutchins Commission Report

Lois A. Boynton

Essay: The Importance of Journalism Today

Dane S. Claussen

Part II: Rethinking Journalistic Objectivity and Ethics

4. Journalism Ethics: Dilemmas and Decisions

Maggie Jones Patterson

5. Journalistic Objectivity: A Gold Standard or Myth?

E. S. McIntyre

6. How Journalistic Objectivity Turns Matters of Science into Matters of Politics: A Closer Look at Climate Change and COVID-19 Reporting

Jason Turcotte and Nicolas Hernandez Florez

Essay: When Objectivity Isn’t Enough: A Case Study on Feminicidios, Violence Against Women, and Anti-Violence Activism

Leandra H. Hernández

Part III: Diversity and Representation in Journalism

7. African American Newspapers: The Voice of the Community

Masudul Biswas

8. It’s Everybody’s Problem: Why Journalism’s Macho Culture Persists and How to Help Make it End

Meg Heckman

9. Heroes and Villains? How US News Organizations are Shifting Their Representations of Protesters and Authorities

Jennifer Brannock Cox

Essay: The Uneven History of Diversity in Journalism

Gwyneth Mellinger

Part IV: War and Conflict Reporting in a Multidimensional World

10. The Complicated History of War and Conflict Reporting in the United States

Hans C. Schmidt

11. Media, War, and the Propaganda of Pretext

Oliver Boyd-Barrett

12. Challenges in Terrorism Coverage in the United States

Yiyi Yang

Essay: War Coverage: Perspectives from the Academy to the Field

Sean Aday

Part V: Challenges and Opportunities for Local News

13. Local News in Crisis

Bill Reader

14. Public Access Television: An Untapped Resource for Local News

Antoine Haywood and Victor Pickard

15. The Engaged Student Journalist: A Teaching Hospital Model for the 21st Century

Allison M. Frisch and Gina Gayle

Essay: Building Better Competitive News Environments

John-Erik Koslosky

Part VI: The Real Impact of Fake News

16. Understanding Fake News Today

Larry J. King

17. The Return of Fake News

J. D. Ponder

18. The Evolution of Fake News on Facebook: Truth Disagreements and a Loss of Common Knowledge

Danielle R. Mehlman-Brightwell

Essay: Inoculation Theory and Fake News

Josh Compton

Part VII: Journalistic Trust and Accuracy in an Era of Hostility and Partisanship

19. Hostility Toward the Press: Background and Steps Forward

Kelsey Mesmer and Kaitlin Miller

20. Participatory Journalism: A New Approach for Increasing Public Trust and Engagement

Mirjana Pantic

21. Of Sounder Mind: Considering the Well-Being of Professional Journalists

Avery E. Holton and Valérie Bélair-Gagnon

Essay: Predatory Publishing: What Every Science Journalist Needs to Know

Amy Koerber

Index