JOURNALISM
I know of no quite satisfactory book on American journalism. “History of Journalism in the United States” by George Henry Payne and “History of American Journalism” by James Melvin Lee are fairly good in their treatment of the past, but neither of them shows any penetration in analyzing present conditions. The innocence of Mr. Payne may be judged by his opinion that the Kansas City Star, under Nelson, exemplifies a healthier kind of “reform journalism” than the Post under Godkin! “Liberty and the News” by Walter Lippmann is suggestive, but it does not pretend to contain any specific information. More specific in naming names and giving modern instances is a short essay by Hamilton Holt, “Commercialism and Journalism.” “The Brass Check” by Upton Sinclair contains much valuable material, and perhaps what I have said of it does not do it justice; certainly it should be read by everybody interested in this subject. Will Irwin published in Collier’s Weekly from January to July, 1911, a valuable series of articles, “The American Newspaper: A Study of Journalism.” I cannot find that these articles have been reprinted in book form. There is some information in autobiographies and biographies of important journalists, such as “Recollections of a Busy Life” by Horace Greeley, “Life of Whitelaw Reid” by Royal Cortissoz, “Life and Letters of E. L. Godkin” by Rollo Ogden, “Life of Charles A. Dana” by J. H. Wilson, “Life and Letters of John Hay” by William Roscoe Thayer, “An Adventure with Genius: Recollections of Joseph Pulitzer,” by Alleyne Ireland; also “The Story of the Sun” by Frank M. O’Brien. Biographies, however, celebrate persons and only indirectly explain institutions. A useful bibliography, which includes books and magazine articles, is “Daily Newspapers in U. S.” by Wieder Callie of the Wisconsin University School of Journalism. But after all the best source of information is the daily newspaper, if one knows how to read it—and read between the lines.
J. M.