Sensationalism: Murder, Mayhem, Mudslinging, Scandals, and Disasters in 19th-Century Reporting

Sensationalism: Murder, Mayhem, Mudslinging, Scandals, and Disasters in 19th-Century Reporting
ISBN-10
1412857074
ISBN-13
9781412857079
Category
History
Pages
425
Language
English
Published
2015-09-15
Authors
David B. Sachsman, David W. Bulla

Description

David B. Sachsman and David W. Bulla have gathered a colorful collection of essays exploring sensationalism in nineteenth-century newspaper reporting. The contributors analyze the role of sensationalism and tell the story of both the rise of the penny press in the 1830s and the careers of specific editors and reporters dedicated to this particular journalistic style. Divided into four sections, the first, titled "The Many Faces of Sensationalism," provides an eloquent defense of yellow journalism, analyzes the place of sensational pictures, and provides a detailed examination of the changes in reporting over a twenty-year span. The second part, "Mudslinging, Muckraking, Scandals, and Yellow Journalism," focuses on sensationalism and the American presidency as well as why journalistic muckraking came to fruition in the Progressive Era. The third section, "Murder, Mayhem, Stunts, Hoaxes, and Disasters," features a groundbreaking discussion of the place of religion and death in nineteenth-century newspapers. The final section explains the connection between sensationalism and hatred. This is a must-read book for any historian, journalist, or person interested in American culture.

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