100 Media Moments That Changed America

✍ Scribed by Jim Willis

• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 252
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

From the launching of America's first newspaper to YouTube's latest phone-videoed crime, the media has always been guilty of indulging America's obsession with controversy. This encyclopedia covers 100 events in world history from the 17th century to the present—moments that alone were major and minor, but ones that exploded in the public eye when the media stepped in. Topics covered include yellow journalism, the War of the Worlds radio broadcast, the Kennedy-Nixon debates, JFK's assassination, the Pentagon papers, and Hurricane Katrina. These are events that changed the way the media is used-not just as a tool for spreading knowledge, but as a way of shaping and influencing the opinions and reactions of America's citizens. Thanks to the media's representations of these events, history has been changed forever. From classified military plans that leaked out to the public to the first televised presidential debates to the current military tortures caught on tape, Breaking News will demonstrate not only an ever-evolving system of news reporting, but also the ways in which historical events have ignited the media to mold news in a way that resonates with America's public. This must-have reference work is ideal for journalism and history majors, as well as for interested general readers.Chapters are in chronological order, beginning with the 17th century. Each chapter starts with a brief introduction, followed by media event entries from that decade. Each entry explains the moment, and then delivers specific details regarding how the media covered the event, America's response to the coverage, and how the media changed history.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 8
One Hundred Defining Moments: An Introduction to the Concept......Page 12
Timeline of Media History......Page 18
1. America’s First Newspaper......Page 24
2. James Franklin Defies Authority......Page 25
3. The Zenger Case......Page 27
4. The Massachusetts Spy Incites a Revolution......Page 28
5. The Committees of Correspondence......Page 29
6. Thomas Paine Writes of "The Crisis"......Page 31
7. Ben Franklin Picks Up a Pen......Page 32
8. The Federalist Papers Stir Debate......Page 33
9. Press Freedom Becomes the Law......Page 35
10. Founding the New York Sun......Page 38
11. Greeley Launches the New York Tribune......Page 39
12. The Great Moon Hoax......Page 42
13. Stanley Finds Livingstone......Page 44
14. The First Advertising Agency......Page 46
15. Douglass Launches the North Star......Page 47
16. Founding the Associated Press......Page 48
17. Opening the Civil War......Page 50
18. Creating the Inverted Pyramid......Page 51
19. The First Newspaper Chain......Page 53
20. Launching Godey’s Lady’s Book......Page 55
21. Joseph Pulitzer Buys the New York World......Page 57
22. The Adventures of Nellie Bly......Page 59
23. The Maine Goes Down......Page 60
24. Adolph Ochs Buys the New York Times......Page 63
25. Marconi (or Fessenden) Launches Radio......Page 65
26. The Shame of the Cities......Page 68
27. The Beginning of Public Relations......Page 70
28. The Sinking of the Titanic......Page 71
29. The President Meets the Press......Page 72
30. Witnessing the Dawn of World War I......Page 74
31. Wilson Drafts George Creel......Page 75
32. Station 8XK Goes on the Air......Page 77
33. The Founding of RCA......Page 78
34. William Allen White’s "Mary White"......Page 80
35. Henry Luce Launches Time......Page 82
36. NBC Launches a Network......Page 83
37. Bill Paley Builds CBS......Page 84
38. Cissy Patterson Shakes Up Washington......Page 87
39. The Communications Act of 1934......Page 89
40. The War of the Worlds Broadcast......Page 91
41. Adolf Hitler Steps into History......Page 92
42. "This Is London"......Page 93
43. Ernie Pyle Reports World War II......Page 95
44. The Flag Raising on Mount Suribachi......Page 96
45. The Launching of Ebony......Page 98
46. Candid Camera Starts Reality TV......Page 99
47. Hearst Promotes Young Evangelist......Page 100
48. Launching the USIA......Page 102
49. The First Network Television Newscast......Page 104
50. Murrow Confronts McCarthy......Page 105
51. TV’s First Presidential Election......Page 107
52. NBC Launches Today......Page 109
53. Publishing Christianity Today......Page 111
54. The Twenty-One Scandal......Page 112
55. Introducing the Mercury Seven Astronauts......Page 115
56. Truman Capote Pens In Cold Blood......Page 117
57. The Kennedy/Nixon Debates......Page 119
58. The Cuban Missile Crisis......Page 120
59. Cronkite Takes the CBS Anchor Desk......Page 123
60. The First Television News Consultants......Page 124
61. The Birmingham Protests......Page 126
62. The Kennedy Assassination......Page 128
63. A Barbed Press Arises......Page 130
64. Birthing the FOIA......Page 132
65. The Paper Lion Joins the Story......Page 134
66. Rolling Out Rolling Stone......Page 135
67. Covering the Tet Offensive......Page 137
68. The Birth of 60 Minutes......Page 139
69. The Pentagon Papers......Page 142
70. Gloria Steinem Launches Ms. Magazine......Page 144
71. Watergate......Page 146
72. The Founding of Microsoft......Page 148
73. Walters and Reasoner Shake Up the News......Page 149
74. Launching ESPN......Page 151
75. From Film to Real-Time Reporting......Page 152
76. The Birth of Nightline......Page 153
77. "Jimmy’s World" of Imagination......Page 155
78. Ted Turner Launches CNN......Page 157
79. MTV Branches Out......Page 160
80. Launching USA Today......Page 162
81. The Fox Network Premiers......Page 163
82. The Challenger Disaster......Page 165
83. The Wall Comes Down......Page 167
84. The Carol Stuart Murder Case......Page 169
85. Live from Baghdad......Page 171
86. NBC’s Exploding Pickup Truck......Page 172
87. The Oklahoma City Bombing......Page 173
88. The O. J. Simpson Trial......Page 177
89. Exposing Big Tobacco Abuses......Page 179
90. The Birth of the World Wide Web......Page 182
91. The Launching of Google......Page 184
92. 9/11......Page 194
93. Embedding War Reporters......Page 197
94. The Founding of Facebook......Page 199
95. Hurricane Katrina......Page 200
96. CBS Taps Katie Couric......Page 204
97. The Abramoff Scandal......Page 206
98. The YouTubing of America......Page 209
99. The 2008 Presidential Campaign......Page 210
100. From Analog to Digital TV......Page 214
1. Joe Louis KO’s Max Schmeling......Page 218
3. New York Times v. Sullivan......Page 221
4. The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.......Page 224
5. Viewtron: Right Idea, Wrong Time......Page 226
6. Dropping in on a Famine......Page 227
7. Exposing Erring Televangelists......Page 229
8. The Drudge Report......Page 230
9. The Founding of Napster......Page 231
10. The Fight for PBS......Page 232
Selected Bibliography......Page 236
B......Page 240
C......Page 241
F......Page 242
H......Page 243
K......Page 244
M......Page 245
P......Page 246
S......Page 247
T......Page 248
Y......Page 249
Z......Page 250