The philosophy, purpose and methods of editorials. Contains examples of real editorials, such as: Is there a Santa Claus? / Francis P. Church ; What's the matter with Kansas? / William Allen White ; Dynasty and old tradition pass in Egypt / Louisville Courier-Journal ; What's justice / William A. Korn ; History is made by Headlines / N.C. (Saturday Review) ; Batten down the hatches! / Power ; The brutal facts about illiteracy / San Francisco Chronicle ; New sponsors for the Break-the-Treasury Program / Baltimore Sun ; History proves that travel broadens / Louisville Courier-Journal ; Arise, Commuters, this is too much! / E.A. Jacquet (The Sohioan, Cleveland, Ohio) ; Bloodstained whitewash / Hodding Carter (Delta Democrat-Times, Greenville, Mississippi) ; Who wrote what? / Washington Post ; Dead leaves fall / Cleveland Plain Dealer ; The cat can't come back / Ben Hur Lampman (Portland Oregonian)

Peeking inside the newsrooms where journalists create stories and the work settings where the public reads them, the author reveals why journalists contribute to the growing similarity of news and why consumers acquiesce to a media system they find increasingly dissatisfying.

Strout examines how the Christian Science Monitor, a highly influential newspaper of the era, covered Joseph R. McCarthy and McCarthyism from the Senator's Lincoln Day speech in February 1950 through his censure in December 1954. Through his in-depth examination of the Monitor's interoffice communications, Strout examines how the Monitor's coverage compared with other elite and popular press newspapers and how the pressures associated with McCarthyism affected individuals at the Monitor. An extensive review of the Monitor's editorials and news articles suggests that it was remarkably thorough and fair in its reporting, while still being outspoken, but responsible in its criticism. While many newspapers attacked McCarthy personally, the Monitor concentrated on the actions of the junior senator and the negative effects they were having at home and abroad. As Strout sees it, the Monitor served as a voice of moderation, while simultaneously being a persistent critic of McCarthy's tactics.

Makers of the Media Mind is a collection of analytical essays focusing on the most important and original ideas contributed to the field of mass communication by journalism educators. Divided into six sections representing the most prominent areas of specialization in the field, this text serves two significant purposes: first, it acquaints readers with the lives of preeminent journalism educators; second, it provides concise discussions and evaluations of the most compelling ideas those educators have to offer. The editor of, and contributors to, this text contend that ideas cannot be appreciated fully without an understanding of the creators of those same ideas. They hope that this volume's coverage of "creators" as well as concepts will demonstrate that journalism education has played a critical role in the making of the "media mind."