In 60 essays, this volume profiles American journalists from colonial times to the present--reporters, editors, publishers, photographers, and broadcasters--whose careers reflected major developments in their profession and in the history of the United States. In a speech to Newsweek correspondents in 1963, publisher Philip Graham described journalism as "the first rough draft of history." These journalists confronted and helped to shape the discussion of major issues and events in American history, from the American revolution through abolition, westward expansion, the Civil War, the civil rights movement, immigration, and the women's movement, as well as major constitutional issues involving the First Amendment protection of freedom of the press. Biographies of well-known journalists, from Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine to Walter Cronkite and Rupert Murdoch, appear alongside some who may be less familiar, such as Elias Boudinot, founder of the first Cherokee language newspaper; Abraham Cahan, editor of the Jewish Daily Forward; and Daniel Craig, who in the 1830s used carrier pigeons to ferry the news. Other subjects include Margaret Green Draper, the revolutionary printer; Claude Barnett, founder of the Associated Negro Press; photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White; war correspondent Ernie Pyle; and Allen Neuharth, founder of USA Today. Illustrations, fact boxes, and quotations from the subjects themselves make this volume an indispensable reference for students of American history as well as a fascinating read. Journalists profiled include: Horace Greeley Frederick Douglass Mark Twain Thomas Nast Joseph Pulitzer Nellie Bly William Randolph Hearst Ida Wells-Barnett H. L. Mencken Dorothy Thompson Walter Winchell Red Smith Edward R. Murrow Walter Cronkite Bernard Shaw Cokie Roberts Manuel de Dios Unanue and many more

Prizes

Winner of A New York Public Library's "Books for the Teen Age" selection (1999) A Children's Book Council/NCSS Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies (1998).

An informative compendium of biographical sketches detailing the personal and professional lives of an array of American journalists from 1700 to the present.... Especially fascinating and refreshing is the inclusion of a number of groundbreaking female journalists and several members of the long overlooked and vastly underrated African American press.... This lively collective biography also doubles as an invaluable introduction to the evolution of American journalism. * Booklist *
Reports on the leading figures of the American press from the early eighteenth century to today. * Publishers Weekly *
A real treat. * School Library Journal *
The readable text by Donald Ritchie shows how the work of these journalists influenced events and issues in our history... Illustrations, fact boxes, and quotations from the subjects themselves make this volume a valuable reference for students. By grouping the biographies into four time periods, the author increases the usefulness of this work in the curriculum. * Library Lane *
It wasn't always the case that historical collections like this, by a white author who profiles 57 journalists and adds shorter bios of 80 others, recognized people of color.... Well-referenced book for students. * National Association of Black Journalists *
Fascinating reading. * The Home School Digest *
It wasn't always the case that historical collections like this, by a white author who profiles 57 journalists and adds shorter bios of 80 others, recognized people of color.... Well-referenced book for students. * National Association of Black Journalists *
An informative compendium of biographical sketches detailing the personal and professional lives of an array of American journalists from 1700 to the present.... Especially fascinating and refreshing is the inclusion of a number of groundbreaking female journalists and several members of the long overlooked and vastly underrated African American press.... This lively collective biography also doubles as an invaluable introduction to the evolution of American journalism. * Booklist *
Reports on the leading figures of the American press from the early eighteenth century to today. * Publishers Weekly *
...clearly written...a real treat. * School Library Journal *
Including journalists from a wide range of backgrounds, this book will be a valuable addition to public libraries. * Library Journal *
Discover how this profession has affected U.S. history * in particular, how journalists have struggled to secure freedoms that we now take for granted.Cobblestone *
A valuable addition to readers' libraries. * Journalism History *
The readable text by Donald Ritchie shows how the work of these journalists influenced events and issues in our history... Illustrations, fact boxes, and quotations from the subjects themselves make this volume a valuable reference for students. By grouping the biographies into four time periods, the author increases the usefulness of this work in the curriculum. * Library Lane *
Each entry is authoritatively written, placing the journalist's work within the context of his or her era, and is illustrated with historical reproductions or black-and-white photos. * The Horn Book Guide *

Donald A. Ritchie is the author of The Young Oxford Companion to the Congress of the United States, Press Gallery: Congress and the Washington Correspondents. He is associate historian of the U.S. Senate.