Description: This volume profiles 60 American journalists from colonial times to the present and focuses on news reporters, editors, publishers, and broadcasters whose careers significantly advanced or were symbolic of major changes in their profession. Illustrations, fact boxes, and quotations from the subjects themselves, together with the depth and breadth of historical information, make this volume an illuminating and fascinating read.
Review Quotes: "An informative compendium of biographical sketches detailing the personal and professional lives of an array of American journalists from 1700 to the present.... Especially fascinating and refreshing is the inclusion of a number of groundbreaking female journalists and several members of the long overlooked and vastly underrated African American press.... This lively collective biography also doubles as an invaluable introduction to the evolution of American journalism."--Booklist
"Reports on the leading figures of the American press from the early eighteenth century to today."--Publishers Weekly"A real treat."--School Library Journal"The readable text by Donald Ritchie shows how the work of these journalists influenced events and issues in our history... Illustrations, fact boxes, and quotations from the subjects themselves make this volume a valuable reference for students. By grouping the biographies into four time periods, the author increases the usefulness of this work in the curriculum."--Library Lane"It wasn't always the case that historical collections like this, by a white author who profiles 57 journalists and adds shorter bios of 80 others, recognized people of color.... Well-referenced book for students."--National Association of Black Journalists