Book Description

"This book is an expansive history of community weekly newspapers in the United States during the twentieth century, a subject of particular interest for journalism, history, and business students, U.S. history buffs, and current or former media workers. This book is an expansive history of community weekly newspapers in the United States during the twentieth century. It explores such topics as ownership, business practices, employees and hiring practices, educating college students to work for weeklies, community involvement, government propaganda campaigns in small-town weeklies, syndication services, community leadership, advertising and other revenue sources, and competition for audiences with the development of radio and television. Weeklies told the story of average American daily lives more thoroughly and in a more personal manner than the big-city dailies. In essence, the weekly publisher-editor served as author of his community's life story. Despite the problems that faced the weekly industry throughout its long and proud history, the constants that remained were identifying and utilizing survival tactics. Throughout the twentieth century an obituary had been written for community weeklies, but they found a way to fight back and happen upon a means, a method, or a message that resonated with audiences and advertisers enough to allow them to keep their doors open. Today, however, many community weeklies are shutting their doors after generations of family ownership. Chain-owned weeklies are also closing as media companies downsize for financial survival. These weeklies and their stories are a vital part of U.S. history that are recorded and shared in this book. This book serves as a supplement to journalism and business history courses, or as a text for special topics courses. It is also of general interest to U.S. history buffs and current or former media workers"--