A Force for Good: How the American News Media Have Propelled Positive Change

America’s news media are relentlessly criticized as too negative, sensationalistic, profit-oriented, and biased, not to mention unpatriotic and a miserable failure at reflecting the nation’s diversity. Rodger Streitmatter makes clear that although much of the criticism is deserved, it obscures the fact that news outlets have also made—and continue to make—many positive contributions to the country’s well-being. A Force for Good: How the American News Media Have Propelled Positive Change offers a compelling account of the Fourth Estate’s efforts to improve U.S. society. Whether documenting the appalling conditions in mental institutions, exposing financial shenanigans and sex-abuse scandals, or championing an obscure pill as a form of contraception, Streitmatter argues, print and broadcast journalists have propelled significant social topics onto the public agenda and helped build support for change. This text draws on both historical and contemporary examples from a wide range of social contexts; the result is a fascinating tour of American history, social change, and the benefits of a robust media.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1—Securing Humane Care for the Mentally Ill Entering the Newspaper World Growing Restless Going Undercover to Do Good Exposing Doctors as Incompetent Exposing Patient Food as Inedible Exposing Living Conditions as Inhumane Exposing Treatment as Abusive Creating a National Sensation Propelling Positive Change 2—Waging War on Urban Slums Getting a Close-Up View of the Slums Pioneering as a Photojournalist Reaching a National Audience Turning to Long-Form Journalism Finding a Champion in Teddy Roosevelt Propelling Positive Change 3—Protecting America’s Children Giving Voice to Young Workers Illuminating the “Nation’s Shame Condemning Child Labor as “Early Slavery” Campaigning for Child Labor Laws Propelling Positive Change 4—Creating a Better Life for African Americans Developing an Innovative Strategy Becoming an Influential Voice Vilifying the South Glorifying the North Creating “Migration Fever” Resisting the Backlash Ending the “Come North!” Campaign Propelling Positive Change 5—Closing Down the Original Ponzi Scheme Charles Ponzi Has a Creative Idea Charles Ponzi Gets Rich Quick The Boston Post Gives Charles Ponzi a Boost Charles Ponzi Gets Richer Still The Boston Post Exposes the “Ponzi Scheme” The Boston Post Reveals Charles Ponzi’s Criminal Past Charles Ponzi Is Disgraced The Boston Post Wins Accolades 6—Assuring Citizens that “G-Men” Were Keeping Them Safe “Machine Gun” Kelly Creates the “G-Man” G-Men Track Down Bonnie and Clyde John Dillinger Gunned Down on a City Street J. Edgar Hoover Glorified as America’s No. 1 G-Man J. Edgar Hoover Becomes the FBI’s No. 1 PR Man More Criminals Gunned Down Bringing an End to the Crime Wave 7—Stopping Smokers from Killing Themselves Informing Readers That Smoking Shortens Life Reporting a Possible Link between Cigarettes and Lung Cancer Warning Readers That Cigarettes Kill Reinforcing the Dangers of Cigarette Smoking Reader’s Digest Crusades against Cigarettes Failing Propel Positive Change 8—Celebrating a Jewish Miss America Becoming a Beauty Queen Winning the Miss America Crown Making Miss America 1945 a Major News Story Bess Myerson Being Beautiful Bess Myerson Having Simple Tastes Bess Myerson Choosing Music over Stardom Bess Myerson Being Patriotic Bess Myerson Promoting Tolerance Propelling Positive Change 9—Breaking the Color Barrier in Major League Baseball Branch Rickey Undertakes a “Noble Experiment” Embracing a “Really Great Prospect” Praising an African-American Montreal Royal Cheering for an African-American Brooklyn Dodger Portraying Jackie Robinson as Humble Portraying Jackie Robinson as Congenial Portraying Jackie Robinson as Wholesome Downplaying Negative Stories Propelling Positive Change 10—Giving Average Citizens More Say in Choosing Their President TV Viewers Help Select the Democratic Nominee TV Viewers Help Select the Republican Nominee Dwight Eisenhower Embraces TV Techniques Dwight Eisenhower Uses TV to Help Win the White House TV Places the Power in the Hands of Average Americans 11—Improving the Lives of Migrant Farmworkers Opening a Window onto a Shocking World Giving Voice to the Downtrodden Portraying Workers as Struggling to Survive Exposing a Cycle of Poverty Advocating for Change Allowing the Other Side to Speak Winning Praise and Support Failing to Propel Positive Change 12—Popularizing the Birth Control Pill Becoming National News Downplaying the Downside Launching a Revolution Portraying Use of the Pill as a Feminist Act Combatting the Catholic Church Propelling Positive Change 13—Fueling the Space Race Capturing the Public Imagination Continuing to Promote the Space Race Going Where TV Hadn’t Gone Before Racing toward the Moon Experiencing a Tragic Setback Resuming the Race to the Moon Taking a Giant Leap for Mankind Propelling America toward a Global Triumph 14—Achieving Justice for Japanese Americans Interned during World War II Proposing Reparations Telling Poignant Stories of Hardship and Loss Reporting on Internment Defenders Exposing Racism and Politics as Motivating Factors Labeling Internment a “Grave Injustice” Showcasing the Recommendations Supporting Reparations through Editorials Keeping the Issue in the Public Eye Politicians Taking Action Propelling Positive Change 15—Stopping Catholic Priests from Sexually Abusing Little Boys Catholic Officials Paying “Hush Money” Other Publications Expand the Coverage TV News Explores More Facets of the Story Online Venues Take the Story in New Directions Allowing Victims to Tell Their Stories Propelling Positive Change 16—Redefining the American Lesbian Coming Out on TV—and Getting Lots of Applause Experiencing Tough Times—but Not with the News Media Helping to Heal a Nation Triumphing as a Talk Show Host Coupling with Her “Perfect Fit” Propelling Positive Change Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index About the Author

About the Author :
Rodger Streitmatter is professor of journalism at American University. A journalist and historian, he is the author of several books and has contributed to numerous popular and scholarly periodicals, including The Washington Post, The Advocate, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, and American Journalism. In 1995, he was honored as American University’s Scholar/Teacher of the Year; he received the Roy F. Aarons Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in 2010.

Review :
Rather than writing a long narrative that tries to connect various themes, Streitmatter provides a series of vignettes that examine specific issues ranging from how society treats its citizens to civil rights and gender. Although this format can sometimes be chaotic, the author breaks each issue/chapter, 16 in all, into easily digestible chunks so that readers can go right to the topic at hand. This is…a good book for those new to an issue and for novice researchers, who can get a head start on where to look for context and analytical viewpoints. Though at times the relationship between the news media and the issues seems peripheral or even tangential to the discussion, the book offers readers a chance to get the basic facts and then think about the relationship to the media—how the media framed an issue and thus used it for good or ill. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates; general readers. At a time when America’s news media are everyone’s punching bag and bear the brunt of a laundry list of criticisms: too negative, sensationalistic, profit-oriented, ideologically biased, or even unpatriotic and lacking diversity in the newsroom. Rodger Streitmatter, a professor of journalism at American University, serves as a cheerleader for the news media. He argues that although news media deserve much of the criticisms, American news media have played an important role in making America a better place. A Force for Good: How the American News Media Have Propelled Positive Change documents an impressive list of news media’s accomplishments in improving America’s well-being in various areas: cleaning up the country’s worst neighborhoods, protecting America’s child labor laws, creating a better life for African Americans, exposing and closing down the original Ponzi scheme, assuring law-abiding citizens that 'G-Men' (federal agents) were keeping them safe, stopping smokers from killing themselves, documenting the horrible conditions in mental institutions, exposing and stopping Catholic priests from sexually abusing young boys, etc. Streitmatter argues that print and broadcast journalists have pushed important social issues onto the public agenda and helped drive social change. Streitmatter cautions that news media are not solely responsible for these changes but primarily serve as a catalyst in shaping the debates and driving for change. This book would be an excellent addition to any university journalism class. It provides examples that demonstrate the ways in which the skills we teach have been deployed to improve society. The reader can see an evolution of changes in society’s assumptions about class, race, sexuality, and religion. Those changes and the examples of both the government’s responsiveness to and its perpetuation of injustice will be thought-provoking…. Any of the chapters could be used as a beginning for deeper investigation of the social issues represented. Every chapter could be the beginning of a discussion about the ways in which journalism makes a difference. Streitmatter, a professor of journalism at American University, focuses on events often neglected in history courses and case studies of journalistic practice that many readers, scholars included, might not be too familiar with. . . .In addition to exploring how journalists have engaged exploited or underrepresented groups in American history, the book’s main strength features a series of choice news accounts, from 19th-century newspapers to modern television shows. This masterful book is a refreshing reminder of what’s right about journalism. Rodger Streitmatter has done again what he does best: find marvelous angles of vision and develop narratives that all students can read, learn from and, yes, enjoy. The stories here are compelling, even inspiring, and based on a broad range of primary and secondary sources. Streitmatter is a superb historian of American journalism. A well-written and strongly sourced book packed with stories that appeal to students. The cases include a mix of well-known moments as well as more obscure but nevertheless important topics. In a field of often critical history, it is refreshing to reflect on the moments when journalism shined. Streitmatter has chosen case studies ranging from Nellie Bly's ten days in a madhouse to Ellen DeGeneres's coming out on television to argue that the news media generally has promoted social change. The work should stimulate controversy and discussion among journalism students, illuminating both the power and the limitation of the mass media in American society.