Joseph P. McKerns

Depression in “The Promised Land”: The Chicago Defender Discourages Migration, 1929–1940

Abstract Scholars have credited the Chicago Defender as being a major proponent of the northward movement of African-Americans during the First World War. However, there is very little scholarship on the Defenders commentary on the conditions of African-Americans over time in the so-called “promised land” of the North. This article shows that when the economic opportunities declined during the Great Depression, the Defender started discouraging this northward movement. This article further shows how a major voice for African-American civil rights discovered the many facets of oppression and realized that it must be fought on every front and in every region of the country.

Death and Communists: The Funeral Industry's Attack on Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death

Abstract When Jessica Mitfords The American Way of Death hit bookshelves, the American funeral industry reacted as if it had been nailed into one of its own gilded hardwood coffins. “Shes a communist,” they cried, “and a crackpot as well!” The industry launched a campaign reminiscent of the McCarthy era, attacking Mitfords credibility as well as that of her husband, attorney Robert Treuhaft, on grounds of their associations with the Communist Party. But the industrys ill-prepared spokesmen did little to discredit Mitfords devastating reporting, much of which quoted directly publications of the “dismal trade” itself. Piling on were the likes of ultra-conservatives California Congressman James B. Utt and Albert F. Canwell, a one-term Washington legislator who launched his own anti-Mitford campaign. Despite a flurry of efforts to discredit Mitford and her book, traditional news media generally reviewed the book positively and rejected the anti-Mitford charges. In part this was because it was a clumsy effort; more likely it was that news media, in the recent wake of the McCarthy hearings, were more cautious in embracing such claims. The authors express gratitude to the staff of the Special Collections/Rare Books Library of The Ohio State University for their assistance.

Articles on Mass Communication in U.S. and Foreign Journals: A Selected Annotated Bibliography • April-September, 1987

Two major controversies dominated the April-May-June quarter: The news media reported on the private life of Gary Hart, thereby prompting his withdrawal as a presidential candidate and stirring debate about whether snooping into private activities of public figures constitutes good journalism (No. 571). A sex scandal involving the PTL ministry made major headlines and caused the media to scrutinize all television evangelists

Articles on Mass Communication in U.S. and Foreign Journals: A Selected Annotated Bibliography--January, February, March 1979.

b During the first quarter of 1979. a federal judge enjoined Zhe Progressive magazine from publishing an article on how the hydrogen bomb works (No. 277). The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a ruling by a lower court which held that the press has no right to be forewarned when the government seeks telephone company records of long-distance calls (279). A second Carnegie Commission issued a report concerning the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting Service, recommending more money and indcpendence for public broadcaating and less duplication of effort (249). An end-of-year report for 1978 showed that 46 of the 53 dailies sold went to groups (336). A number of afternoon dailies, concerned about sagging circulations, began adding morning editions, some calling themselves ‘allday” newspapers (386). An ANPA survey found that 75 newspapcrs in 1978 were selling for 25 cents a copy compared to 36 in 1977 (387). Some criticism was leveled at how well and how impartially news from Iran had been reported before the ShaKs downfall (367DO). Joe Alex Morris, Jr., of the Los Angeles Times, was killed by a stray bullet while covering the strife in Tehran (3621)). For the first time since 1949. U.S. wire services were able to staff bureaus in Peking (381F). To help readers who arc checking the crossreferences at the ends of sections, entries with international aspects have a letter after the number: A, Europe; B, USSR, Eastern Europe; C, Latin America; D, Middle East; E. Africa; F, Asia; G, multi-area; H, Third World nations.

Articles on Mass Communication in U.S. and Foreign Journals: A Selected Annotated Bibliography--October, November, December 1978.

*The biggest running story during the quarter was the presidential election. An overwhelming number of dailies, 41 I to 80, endorsed Republicans Ford and Dole (Number 106). The networks competed to be first to announce the winner, but UP1 won the race when it announced the Carter-Mondale Democratic victory at 2 5 7 am., after election day (56). The campaign took some odd twists that gave copydesks problems, such as when Playboy published a Jimmy Carter interview containing ‘earthy” language and mention of lust (46). and when Earl Butz, Secretary of Agriculture, told a racist, obscene joke that precipitated his resignation (58). Critics accused the press of overemphasizing campaign blunders and paying too little attention to the significant, but reporters said the candidates skimped on substance (47). Peter Lisagor of the Chicago Daily News, a major reporter of the Washington scene, died Dcc. 10 at age 61 (108). Major newspaper properties changed hands or came under new business arrangements either in fact or in principle. In what was reportedly the largest newspaper cash deal ever, Samuel 1. Newhoux acquired Booth Newspapers’ eight Michigan properties and Parade magazine for about 5250 million (165). Atlantic Richfield bought the S u n h y Observer of London for a token price (131); Rupert Murdoch agreed to buy the New York Post for 530 million (169). and Gannett Co., Inc., and Speidel Newspapers, Inc., agreed in principle to merge (163). The quarter was surprisingly free of major governmental or court activity involving the media, although Congress finally passed a new copyright law, effective Jan. I , 1978, which President Ford signed (33). A study showed the American daily newspaper industry as seemingly stable and profitable (167). There were many predictions about the future of newspapers, especially 10 and 25 years hence (166, 175). The AP and UP1 completed the first coverto-cover revision of their newswire stylebook (62). The movie Network created controversy as television journalists saw it as satirizing or documenting their news operations and personnel (45). ‘Worth checking” items: 8, 12, 18, 21, 22, 26, 32, 34, 35, 38, 39, 40, 42, 58, 62, 94, 97, 98, 105, 109, 124, 127, 143, 148, 151, 171, 192, 193, 194, 199. An asterisk precedes each. This edition introduces three new abbreviations: JH for Journalism History; MCR for Mass Comm Review. and PRR for Public Relotions Review. To help readers who are checking the crossreferences at the end of sections, entries with international aspects have a letter after the number: A, Europe; B, USSR, Eastern Europe; C, Latin America; D, Middle East; E, Africa; F, Asia; G, other or multi-area.

Articles on Mass Communication in U.S. and Foreign Journals; A Selected Annotated Bibliography; April, May, June

Bibliographers: Abraham Z. Bass, Northern Illinois; Clifford G. Christians, Illinois; Robert E. Drechsel, Colorado State; Kenneth Edwards, Alabama; Warren T. Francke, Nebraska-Omaha; Susan J. Henry, Cal State-Northridge; Herbert Howard, Tennessee; John A. Lent, Temple; Jerry R. Lynn, Tennessee; Mark P. McElreath, Maryland; Ronald E. Ostman, Cornell; Tom Pasqua, San Diego; Zoe Smith-Nesterenko, Tulsa.