From Library Journal
Bruce Rosenstein, "USA Today" Lib., Arlington, Va.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
The introduction provides a succinct overview of the media in American history, in which the author discusses the role of government in its development, the impact of the alternative media on traditional media, and the impact of government censorship. The entries that follow are from one to two pages in length. Familiar names are found, such as the New Yorker, William F. Buckley, the Pulitzer Prize, the American Broadcasting System, and the newspaper Stars and Stripes. Important historical events are treated, such as the abolitionist movement, which the author points out "was the first time that the ability of the media to influence public opinion on social issues emerged." Some important subjects are given short treatment (e.g., National Public Radio) or are omitted (e.g., American Spectator). There is only one general article on the motion picture industry and nothing on book publishing except a brief history of Publishers Weekly. The author has a poor grasp of new technologies. He writes, for example, that "the chief use of the Internet is multiuser dimension, or MUD." The author includes references for further reading at the ends of entries and provides see references, when necessary. Following the entries are a chronology that runs from 1662, when the English Parliament passed the Licensing Act to allow government censorship of printing, to 1995 and the O. J. Simpson trial. A seven-page bibliography of books consulted in compiling the encyclopedia is arranged by author and is followed by a subject index.
The entries here are well written but lack the depth to be useful in academic libraries. This companion is, however, recommended for purchase by public and high-school libraries that need an overview of this field.
