Includes bibliographical references and index.

The Purposes of Journalism / Julie Hedgepeth Williams -- Politics and Partisanship / Ford Risley -- The Press and Government / Paulette D. Kilmer -- Concepts of News / Norma Green -- Ethics / John D. Keeler, William Brown, Douglas Tarpley -- Press Criticism / Linda J. Lumsden -- Characteristics of Journalists / Jim Upshaw -- Training and Education of Journalists / Joseph A. Mirando -- Women in Journalism / Carolyn Kitch -- Publishers / Fred Blevens -- Economics, Business, and Financial Motivations / Dane S. Claussen -- Mergers, Chains, Monopoly, and Competition / Jim McPherson -- Freedom of the Press / Margaret A. Blanchard -- Press Rights and Laws / Greg Lisby -- News Gathering / Michael A. Longinow -- Cooperative News Gathering / Richard A. Schwarzlose -- Coverage of Washington / Elliot King -- The Press and U.S. Presidents / James D. Startt -- Coverage of Political Campaigns / John Allen Hendricks, Shannon K. McCraw -- Coverage of Crime / Earnest L. Perry -- Coverage of Sports / Jon Enriquez -- Investigative Journalism / James Aucoin -- Reform Journalism, Exposes, and Crusading / Helen Rounds -- The Press and War / Debra Reddin van Tuyll -- War Coverage / Manuel O. Torres -- Foreign Correspondence / Catherine Cassara -- Objectivity / Bruce J. Evensen -- Sensationalism and Tabloidism / Erika J. Pribanic-Smith -- Radio Journalism / Gary W. Larson -- Television News / William E. Huntzicker -- News Writing Structure and Style / Tim P. Vos -- Editorial Writing / W. David Sloan -- Newspaper Design / Sally I. Morano -- Newspaper Illustrations / Lisa Mullikin Parcell -- Photojournalism / Ken Sexton -- Cartoons, Comics, and Caricature / Michael R. Smith -- Technologies of News Gathering and Transmission / John Slater -- Printing Technologies / Susan Thompson.

News consumers made cynical by sensationalist banners--"AMERICA STRIKES BACK, " "THE TERROR OF ANTHRAX"--and lurid leads might be surprised to learn that in 1690, the newspaper Publick Occurrences gossiped about the sexual indiscretions of French royalty or seasoned the story of missing children by adding that "barbarous Indians were lurking about" before the disappearance. Surprising, too, might be the medias steady adherence to, if continual tugging at, its philosophical and ethical moorings. These 39 essays, written and edited by the nations leading professors of journalism, cover the theory and practice of print, radio, and TV news reporting. Politics and partisanship, press and the government, gender and the press corps, presidential coverage, war reportage, technology and news gathering, sensationalism: each subject is treated individually. Appropriate for interested lay persons, students, professors and reporters.