This unique volume is based on the philosophy that the teaching of history should emphasize critical thinking and attempt to involve the student intellectually, rather than simply provide names, dates, and places to memorize. The book approaches history not as a cut-and-dried recitation of a collection of facts but as multifaceted discipline. In examining the various perspectives historians have provided, the author brings a vitality to the study of history that students normally do not gain. The text is comprised of 24 historiographical essays, each of which discusses the major interpretations of a significant topic in mass communication history. Students are challenged to evaluate each approach critically and to develop their own explanations. As a textbook designed specifically for use in graduate level communication history courses, it should serve as a stimulating pedagogical tool.
Biography
Wm. David Sloan
"...important, informative, engaging, provocative, and potentially controversial. These are attributes of significant scholarship and scholarly inquiry, and therefore provide ample reason for its use in graduate-level courses in mass communications history. There has long been a need for such a book, both as a guide to students new to the study of mass communications history and to those already working in the field."
—Journalism Educator"...presents a series of essays with the goal of challenging students to think about the variety of explanations....that have been used to chronicle mass communication history. The structure of the book seems ideal to successfully carry out that goal and promote the development of critical thinking among journalism history students....the generally even-handed presentation of the various perspectives is a strength of the book as a teaching tool."
—Journalism Quarterly
