A Press Divided: Newspaper Coverage of the Civil War

A Press Divided studies the sharp political divisions that existed among Civil War era newspapers. It discusses the roles played by newspapers in splitting the nation, newspaper war coverage, and the responses by the Union and Confederate administrations to press criticism.

About the Author :
David B. Sachsman is a professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he holds the George R. West, Jr. Chair of Excellence in Communication and Public Affairs. His books include Sensationalism and The Civil War and the Press.

Review :
"A Press Divided represents an important and impressive addition to the literature about the Civil War and newspaper reporting of the conflict. It includes well-researched contributions by some of the leading experts on the press of the Civil War era, as well as insightful chapters by emerging scholars in the field. The volume is skillfully edited and well-organized. It's a must for scholars of the era." --W. Joseph Campbell, professor, American University "This book's purpose is not to offer a comprehensive analysis of the American press or Civil War era. Nevertheless, it uniquely accentuates the complex political climate permeating the nation. Following a strong introduction, 18 well-wrought analyses by 14 authors unearth much history long obscured in generalities while suggesting a seemingly insurmountable, pervasive divisiveness. The sheer variety and range of contentious opinions, issues, and events in every area treated will startle many readers. Problems besetting seven states discussed, for example, and multiple divisions in government (especially in the South, where top leaders espoused divergent ideologies) raise anew questions about how a viable union survived. The book underscores the continuing value of this era as a site for study of a nation in crisis, as well as for study of solutions and of the human condition." --Hazel Dicken-Garcia, professor emerita, University of Minnesota "David B. Sachsman and his band of journalism historians have done it again! A Press Divided: Newspaper Coverage of the Civil War goes deep into the causes of the conflict, the coverage of it, and the interplay of news and politics. Once again, Sachsman has produced an important and monumental work that captures the climate and complexities of the era. From a revealing chapter on civil war photographers to other fine ones on northern and southern journalism, women, Civil War law, and other topics, the book is an important contribution to the field as well as a great read." -- David Mindich, professor, Saint Michael's College "This is an outstanding collection of articles examining the critical role of the press during the Civil War era. Students of the war years can learn a great deal about how the press editorialized and reported on the most significant event in American history." -- Ford Risley, professor, Pennsylvania State University "The Civil War did not just split a young republic; it revealed fissures within the North and South. Uniquely, newspapers portray tensions of that great struggle for human freedom and union stretching far beyond the bloody battlefields of Gettysburg and the Wilderness. Newspapers . . . such powerful echoes." -- Donald L. Shaw, professor emeritus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill