JOURNALISM 418
MEDIA HISTORY:
HOW THE NEWS MEDIA HAVE SHAPED AMERICAN HISTORY
Instructor:
Textbooks:
Contact Info:
Office Hours:
Class Time:
Dr. Christopher Burnett
Sloan, The Media in America: A History (2014), Ninth Edition
Streitmatter, Mightier Than The Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American
History (2012), Third Edition
(562) 985-7440; e-mail is chris.burnett@csulb.edu.
Tuesdays 1-2 p.m., Wednesdays 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Fridays 8:30-9 a.m.,
SSPA024C
9:30-10:45 a.m. Monday and Wednesday
Purpose of the course
To familiarize you with the general history of mass communication (particularly in America),
with the nature of historiography (the study of history), and with the fundamentals of historical research. By the end of the course, it is expected that you will understand the importance of mass
communication to America’s past and the importance of history to the contemporary field of mass
communication, will be familiar with the purpose and nature of history, and will have a deeper
appreciation of the rigorous thinking and work practices required in research in mass communication. The field of media history changes because society changes, and over the years people
of all races, ethnicities, physical disabilities, sexuality, and sexual orientation have played a role in
shaping media content. Many courses of this type focus on changes in technology. In this class we
will explore this, but I argue that just as important in changing the landscape of media content is the
background of participants.
The focus of the course will be on the 20th century, a time of rapid technological and social change.
The impact of these changes continue to reverberate today, well into the second decade of the 21st
century. I will teach the class as a seminar, with a mix of lectures and discussion. You are a vital
participant! The overall theme of the class, as indicated by the title, is to examine how the news
media have shaped American history and how the media can perpetuate “myths” about certain
issues. How you react to these changes, and how these changes continue to shape our lives, is an
intriguing subtheme that you will get the opportunity to examine for ourselves.
Course requirements
Student work will consist primarily of these items:
1)Readings from the textbook and class materials. Several quizzes (generally, but not always, on
Wednesdays) will be given on the material in the readings and class materials passed out in class or,
more commonly, posted on Beachboard. Quizzes will consist of a mix of multiple choice and fill in
the blank questions. They cannot be made up. 50 points on five quizzes.
2) Midterm Examination, to be given on October 15. This exam will cover all material, including
texts, presentations, and videos/CDs presented in the class in the first two months. It will consist
of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and short answer questions. 30 points.
3) Successful performance on a final exam, to be given on Friday, December 12, at 8 a.m. This
exam will be cumulative. I will discuss prospective test questions at our final regular class session on
Wednesday, December 10 or earlier. 30 points.
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4) Writing Assignments. I will have two writing assignments that will explore the course topic on
how the news media have shaped American history. One is a critique of a particularly fascinating
period of American media history – the yellow journalism era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the second assignment, you will write a profile on the contribution to journalism by an ethnic,
religious, sexual or racial minority. In the third assignment, you will explore a topic rom the period
commonly referred to as the American Century, the period from 1944 to 2000, that displays the role
the news media play in elevating issues to prominence. All three assignments are detailed below. 80
points.
5) Attendance. Coming to class is necessary and mandatory. Since most instruction will come from
class lecture and discussion, absences will be counted in determining your grade. I will circulate a
sign-in sheet on most class days. If you are not signed in for the class, you are not there – period. I
am sympathetic to other university and personal obligations that might make it necessary for you to
miss class. However, you have to make the decision whether those obligations are more important
than being in class. I am not very good at making decisions on what reasonable reasons to miss
class are. For one person, it might be a family trip or tending to the needs of a grandparent, parent
or child. For another, it might be a work obligation. For yet another, it might be participation in a
university-sponsored event. Any student who accumulates 10 absences or more will receive an
automatic “F” for the course. 10 points.
The American Century paper
This assignment will allow you to research in some detail interesting aspects of a media-related
myth that displays the role the news media has played in elevating issues to prominence. Your
research paper should run 7-8 full pages and will be due at the start of class on December 3.
In getting going on this assignment, please review the list below of several prospective
research topics. You are welcome to propose a pertinent idea (on a topic, say, that you’ve been
interested in researching; this could be the occasion to pursue that interest). We’ll want to agree on
that topic before you may proceed, of course. In any event, I will ask you in class in early October to
rank and briefly describe your three top research preferences. Assignments of research topics will be
based on those preferences.
Whatever topic you research, it’s essential that we meet to discuss the project’s scope and
other parameters, including resource materials. In any event, please do not research a topic that you
have previously investigated (in another class, for example).
Here are descriptions of several prospective research topics; this by no means is an
exhaustive list:
□ The American divorce rate: One of the things touted as part of the hallmarks of the
early part of the American Century was family stability, ie., a low divorce rate. Some reports and
research say the divorce rate is now near 50 percent, as is often mentioned in the news media. Is this
true? So what is the country’s divorce rate, if not 50 percent? Who has promoted the notion that
half of all marriages in the United States fail? If this is a media myth, or is it based on fact?
□ Poverty and terrorism: A recurring theme over the past 70 years has been a link between
poverty and terrorism? What explains the link of poverty and terrorism? When did the linkage begin
historically? Why is the poverty-terrorism linkage so often invoked? Is there any evidence
supporting the link? In taking on this topic, you might consider reading Krueger’s book, What Makes
a Terrorist, in its entirety.
□ The Iwo Jima flag-raising myth: It’s sometimes said that the famous—indeed, iconic—
photograph of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima during World War II was staged. That’s apparently not
the case. In pursuing this topic, you’ll want to consult databases such as LexisNexis to determine
whether that misleading interpretation is widely reported. Also, what factors account for the tenacity
of this myth? Is it because the flag-raising image somehow seems too perfect? Does a mistrust of the
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military account for the myth’s tenacity, at least in part? Is the account of Joe Rosenthal, the
photographer who snapped the image, persuasive in your view? What role do such controversies
play in perpetuating the myth of U.S. military superiority as part of the American century?
□ Nixon’s “secret plan”: Did Richard Nixon really say during his campaign for the
presidency in 1968 that he had a “secret plan” to end the war in Vietnam? Or, rather, were the news
media intimating that he had such a plan? What is the derivation of this anecdote and how widely
has it circulated? Does the evidence suggest that the “secret plan” story is apocryphal? And why
does this matter nowadays? Because the “secret plan” anecdote stands as additional evidence of
Nixon’s guile and deceit, perhaps?
□ The “wacko vet” myth: The notion is fairly tenacious that many Vietnam War veterans
(or, more recently, Iraq War veterans) returned home to the United States as dysfunctional and
mentally unstable. How have media reports fed this stereotype? (See a New York Times article in
January 2008.) Is there evidence to support the notion of a “wacko vet” syndrome? What do
veterans organizations have to say about this?
□ Oil-price hikes and recessions: Have they been related the past 80 years? Or is the
notion that they are related a media myth? Robert Samuelson, a nationally syndicated columnist for
the Washington Post, has said the correlation is a myth. (He wrote in 2006, for example: “It is
conventional wisdom that big increases in oil prices usually trigger a recession—or at least a sharp
downtown.”) Is he correct about conventional wisdom? Does this suggest that many journalists
have only a tenuous grasp of the relationship of commodity prices and economic downturns?
□ The “March madness” myth: Claims have been made over the years that productivity
suffers when the NCAA men’s basketball tournament gets underway in mid-March. How true has
this been over the past 80 years as televising the tournament has expanded? The argument is that
office workers shirk their duties to follow the first-round games on workplace computers or
televisions, so keen they are to learn how their predictions are holding up. But is there much
evidence to support such claims? The consulting firm Challenger, Gray suggested a few years ago
that there was such a linkage. But can this really be so, especially in hard economic times when job
security is fragile? In the end, is this a myth—simply more “March madness”? The article at this
URL might be useful: www.slate.com/id/2187031/.
We’ll discuss in class ways of organizing the paper. But be sure that your research paper
includes these elements:
 A brief description, preferably in the methodology section, about how you
conducted your research.
 A detailed discussion of the findings of your research, including proper
citations of source material. This section probably will be the largest single
portion of your paper.
 A concluding section in which you present an analytical discussion of the topic
and suggest further avenues of research.
You are welcome to attach photocopies of articles to the final version of your research
memorandum. Doing so is optional, and the attachments do not count toward the required page
length.
Please keep me posted as you pursue this assignment, which is meant to be an opportunity
to conduct substantive and revealing research using primary source materials—on a topic that really
interests you.
Media History Life Profile
The history of the mass media in the United States is too often told through the eyes of
white Americans, in particular through the eyes of white men. The purpose of this four-page,
double-spaced paper is to explore the life and contributions to journalism of someone who was not
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part of the dominant system. This should be a profile of an individual whose minority voice,
whether they were a woman, ethnic, racial, sexual or religious minority, made a significant
contribution to journalism in the period leading up to 2000. I will give you a list of individuals you
may choose for your report. In addition to the written report, you will share your report orally with
other class members. You may choose someone not on my list, but you will need to get my approval
in advance. Only one person may report on any historic figure. This paper is due in class on
Wednesday, November 12.
Yellow Journalism Paper
“Yellow journalism” still has an unenviable reputation. But as practiced more than 100 years
ago, “yellow journalism” wasn’t all awful or execrable. The evocative, detail-rich article by Richard
Harding Davis, later titled “Death of Rodriguez,” is evidence of that “yellow journalism” could and
did publish high-quality writing. I will post this article on Beachboard.
Davis—a preeminent war correspondent of the late nineteenth century—wrote the article in
early 1897, while on assignment to Cuba for William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal. The article
tells of the firing-squad execution of a Cuban insurgent captured during the rebellion against Spanish
rule. The Cuban uprising led to the Spanish-American War in 1898.
Please closely read the article and write a four-page reaction paper that briefly summarizes
the storyline, discusses what was so notable and exemplary about “Death of Rodriguez,” points to
flaws in Davis’ article, and considers why the article had little or no long-term influence (it certainly
did not hasten the war between the United States and Spain over Cuba). Also offer your view
whether “Death of Rodriguez” has contemporary relevance as, say, an article that journalists ought
to read and even emulate. Your three- to four-page reaction papers are due at the start of class on
October 1.
Final exam
The final exam will be given Friday, December 12, from 8 to 10 a.m. Please note that the dates
of final exams are set by the University and cannot be altered.
The exam in “How the News Media Have Shaped American History” will be comprehensive:
It will cover material from the beginning of class. In completing the final exam, you will be asked to
write two detailed, analytical essays about topics drawn from assigned readings and class discussions.
The exam also may include a few short-answer questions.
Exam-related details will be discussed at our closing session on May 13. I can tell you that my
policy on exams is one of “no surprises.” That is, in taking the exam, you should not find yourself
asking:
“Where in the &*#*!! did he get these questions?”
Tentative Semester Schedule of Topics (Subject to Change)
Class
Topic
M Aug 25
Introduction to course
W Aug 27
Why Study Media History? Reading: Introduction to Sloan and Streitmatter books
M Sept 1
Labor Day (No Class)
W Sept 3
The Revolutionary Press (Chapter 4 in Sloan); Sowing the Seeds of Revolution
(Chapter 1 in Streitmatter)
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M Sept 8
Lecture on the early American Republic – Party Press and Penny Press eras.
(Chapters 5 and 7 in Sloan)
W Sept 10
Quiz 1 – Revolutionary Press, Party Press, and Penny Press.
The Antebellum and Civil War Press. (Chapters 8 and 9 in Sloan) Abolition:
Turning America’s Conscience Against the Sins of Slavery (Chapter 2 in Streitmatter)
M Sept 15
American Magazines and Women’s Role in Journalism. (Chapter 13 in Sloan);
Slowing the Momentum for Women’s Rights (Chapter 3 in Streitmatter)
W Sept 17
Library Research Presentation – Using Records in Historical Research (tentative)
M Sept 22
Quiz 2 – Antebellum, Civil War, Early Magazines and Women’s Role.
Attacking Municipal Corruption: The Tweed Ring (Chapter 4 in Streitmatter); The
Press and Industrial America (Chapter 11 in Sloan)
W Sept 24
The Age of New Journalism (Chapter 12 in Sloan). Journalism as Warmonger
(Chapter 5 in Streitmatter).
M Sept 29
The Media and Reform (Chapter 16 in Sloan); Muckraking: The Golden Age of
Reform Journalism (Chapter 6 in Streitmatter)
W Oct 1
Quiz 3 on post-Civil War era through Reform Era. The Emergence of Modern
Media (Chapter 15 in Sloan) and Defying the Ku Klux Klan (Chapter 7 in
Streitmatter) Yellow Journalism paper due. Discuss topic for media myth
paper.
M Oct 6
Radio Comes of Age (Chapter 18 in Sloan); Father Coughlin: Fomenting AntiSemitism Via Radio (Chapter 8 in Streitmatter)
W Oct 8
Quiz 4 on early 20th century media, including emergence of modern media,
radio coming of age, Father Coughlin and Defying the Ku Klux Klan.
M Oct 13
The Media and National Crises (Chapter 17 in Sloan). Creating Rosie the Riveter:
Propelling the American Woman into the Workforce (Chapter 9 in Streitmatter).
W Oct 15
Midterm Exam. A mix of multiple choice, short answer and fill in the blank
questions on material covered thus far.
M Oct 20
Media History Life Profile assignments discussed and assigned.
W Oct 22
The Media in Transition (Chapter 23 in Sloan). Exposing Joe McCarthy:
Journalism’s Finest Hour (Chapter 10 in Streitmatter)
M Oct 27
Pushing the Civil Rights Movement into the National Agenda (Chapter 11 in
Streitmatter)
W Oct 29
Vietnam War: Bringing the Battlefield into the American Living Room (Chapter 12
in Streitmatter)
M Nov 3
Watergate Forces the President to His Knees (Chapter 13 in Streitmatter)
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W Nov 5
The News Media: 1974-2000 (Chapter 24 in Sloan)
M Nov.10
Rush Limbaugh: Leading the Republican Revolution ( Chapter 14 in Streitmatter)
W Nov 12
Quiz 5 on post-World War II journalism to 2000. The Contemporary Media
(Chapter 25 in Streitmatter) Media History Life Profile Reports Due.
M Nov 17
Media History Life Profile Reports Presented (1).
W Nov 19
Media History Life Profile Reports Presented(2) 9/11 Failing the American Public
(Chapter 15 in Streitmatter)
M Nov 24
Media History Life Profile Reports Presented (3) The 21st Century’s Legacy to the
Past. Electing an African-American President: A Case Study in Media Bias (Chapter
16 in Streitmatter)
W Nov 26
No Class – Thanksgiving Holiday
M Dec 1
Research Day – No Class. Professor Burnett available for meetings with students on
Media Myth papers, or to discuss other issues. Sign up for a set appointment. Drop
ins are also welcome, but appointments get priority.
W Dec 3
Media Myth Paper due. Media History Life Profile Reports Presented (4)
M Dec 8
Discussion and Brief Presentations of Media Myth Papers
W Dec 10
Prepare for Final Exam. How the News Media Have Shaped American History
(Chapter 17 in Streitmatter)
F Dec 12
Final Exam – Essay Format. Cumulative with an emphasis on the last half of the
course. Exam is from 8-10 a.m.
COURSE GRADING
Final grades in How the News Media Shape History will be determined according to these criteria:
• “A” -- represents superior work (written and oral) in fulfilling requirements for the course;
improvement during the course will be considered.
• “B” -- represents good to very good work (written and oral) in fulfilling course
requirements; improvement during the course will be considered.
• “C” -- represents satisfactory work (written and oral) in fulfilling requirements.
• “D” -- represents unsatisfactory performance.
• “F” -- represents failure to meet minimum course objectives.
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Course grades will be calculated in this manner:
Material
Points
Chapter Quizzes (5 worth 10 points each)
50
Attendance
10
Morning Report and Team Paper
20
Yellow Journalism Paper
20
Minority Journalism Profile
20
American Century Paper
40
Midterm Exam
30
Final exam
30
Total
200
Bonus points (See the explanation below under “CLASS PARTICIPATION.”)
WRITING PROFICIENCY: As an elementary aspect of good writing, mechanical correctness is
essential. In mass communication, correct language usage is especially critical. To encourage you to
pay particular attention to language, points will be deducted from every assignment for each mechanical error (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.). If you need assistance with language usage,
please confer with your instructor for advice.
TYPING: All assignments must be typed, not handwritten, unless it’s an in-class assignment.
CLASS PARTICIPATION: Bonus points may be given for superior contributions to the class.
The quality of your participation in the class will be determined by your positive contributions.
While evaluating them will be subjective, they will include such things as asking insightful
questions, participating in class discussion in an informed manner, and attending class without
absence. Similarly, points may be deducted from the final course grade for failure to make
positive contributions to the class. Do not count on any other extra credit.
LATE WORK: You will receive NO credit for work turned in late. Work is late if it is not turned in
at the time that the instructor collects it. Daily quizzes will be given at the beginning of the class.
Any student arriving after a quiz has begun will get a grade of “0” for the quiz.
CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY: I know it’s fashionable, and many cases useful, to use personal
computers in the classroom. However, particularly in seminars designed to encourage discussion,
they can be distracting. You can’t be fully engaged if you are on a website doing research, not to
mention checking your e-mail or Facebook account. Thus, I am not allowing use of personal
computers in the classroom. You are welcome to bring them, however, as I might ask you to log on
to look up something in class. Also, please turn off (not just leave on vibrate) your cellphones and
pagers while in class. It’s easy to forget you have left it on. I know – it happens to me in class or at
public meetings all the time. This is another distraction we can all do without.
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____________________________________________________________________________
Addendum to Course Syllabus: Department of Journalism
Policies on Grading, Conduct of Classes, Drops, Absences and Cheating
Grading: The grading policies and practices in this class are explained elsewhere in the syllabus. It is
the student’s responsibility to read them and to seek clarification if necessary. The student should be
fully aware of what is required for success in the course, such as group participation, writing,
speaking, completing assigned readings, etc.
Seat in Class: An enrolled student may lose his/her seat in class if he/she misses the first class
meeting without notifying the instructor. At the instructor’s discretion, a student who attends the
first class but not subsequent classes may also be dropped from the course.
Withdrawal from Class: Students may withdraw from a class from the third to the 12th week for
“serious and compelling reasons.” Normally these are defined as anything of import that is beyond
the control of the student. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, death or serious illness in a
student’s immediate family or a documented change in a student’s work schedule. Poor
performance, tardiness and unexcused absences are not considered a serious or compelling reason
beyond the student’s control for purposes of withdrawal.
Absences from Class: Grades in a course may be adversely affected by absences, and students
should seek clarification from the instructor regarding the course absence policy. Make-ups usually
are granted in strict accordance with CSULB policy, which defines excused absences as (1) illness or
injury to the student; (2) death, injury or serious illness of an immediate family member or the like;
(3) religious reasons; (4) jury duty or government obligation; (5) CSULB-sanctioned or approved
activities [2002-03 Catalog, p. 75]. These and any other requests for an excused absence must be documented.
CSULB Cheating/Plagiarism/Fabrication Policy: CSULB takes issues of academic dishonesty
very seriously. If you use any deceptive or dishonest method to complete an assignment, take an
exam, or gain credit in a course in any other way, or if you help someone else to do so, you are guilty
of cheating. If you use someone else’s ideas or work and represent it as your own without giving
credit to the source, you are guilty of plagiarism. This does not apply if the ideas are recognized as
common knowledge, or if you can show that you honestly developed the ideas through your own
work. Any instructor can show you the correct ways of citing your sources, and you should use
quotation marks, footnotes or endnotes and bibliographic references to give credit to your sources
according to the format recommended by your instructor.
Responses, Penalties and Student Rights: Students should consult the appropriate sections of
the Catalog for examples of cheating, fabrication and plagiarism, and instructor and/or CSULB
response options in such circumstances. The Catalog also outlines student rights. Any instance of
academic dishonesty may result in your immediate expulsion from the class with a grade of “F”
and/or other sanctions, as the instructor deems appropriate.
Academic Honesty: You should be familiar with University regulations regarding academic
honesty. Violations of academic honesty will not be tolerated. A student guilty of violations will
receive an automatic grade of “F” for the class and will be subject to other penalties, including
suspension from the University.
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MORE ON PLAGIARISM: DON’T DO IT!!!!!
Plagiarism is taking another’s material and presenting it as one’s own. It is an offense. One should
never do it.
The act of plagiarism, in its most elementary form, is using words verbatim from a source without
acknowledging the source. For example, failure to place quotation marks around verbatim material
or to give credit to the source constitutes plagiarism. The “source” may be either primary or
secondary material. The rule of practice is this: always place in quotation marks any material used
verbatim from a source, and always acknowledge the source.
The student may commit plagiarism, however, by less blatant means. Taking a distinctive idea
from another and presenting it as one’s own original idea is a violation of the most basic principles
of scholarship. That rule applies even if the student casts the idea in his or her own words. Among
other forms of plagiarism is borrowing extensively from another scholar’s research material or
writing, even if the source is acknowledged. It must not be done.
Plagiarism is so serious an offense that historians who commit it are denounced by their
professional colleagues, professors lose their jobs, and students are expelled from school.
It is also a grave offense to the whole scholarly pursuit. As the American Historical Association’s
“Statement of Plagiarism” puts it, plagiarism “is a serious violation of the ethics of scholarship. It
undermines the credibility of historical inquiry.”
Even though the Internet has raised concerns about the ease with which students may plagiarize
research papers, actually students who were intent on doing so always could find ways to cheat even
before the appearance of the Internet. The Internet has, in fact, made it easier to detect instances of
plagiarism. Search engines such as Google, AltaVista, and Dogpile make it easy for professors to
check instances of suspicious writing. Furthermore, a number of sites are dedicated specifically to
identifying plagiarism in research papers. They include www.plagiarism.org, www.turnitin.com, and
www.canexus.com/eve. Means of using the Internet to detect plagiarism are likely to increase in the
future.
Besides the fact that plagiarism constitutes intellectual theft, students have another good reason
not to engage in it. One of the prime purposes of research is to increase one’s knowledge and
improve research skills. Simply taking the work of another robs the student of the great benefits that
historical research has to offer the student. So, stealing from another is actually cheating oneself.
No one has anything to gain through plagiarism, but everyone has much to lose. So always follow
the basic rule about plagiarism: Don’t do it.
The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at
California State University, Long Beach is accredited by the
Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass
Communications (ACEJMC).
ACEJMC has established educational requirements and standards and provides a process of
voluntary program review by professionals and educators, awarding accredited status to
programs that meet its standards. Through this process, the Council assures students, parents,
journalism and mass communications professionals, and the public that accredited programs
meet rigorous standards for professional education.
Accreditation by ACEJMC is an assurance of quality in professional education in journalism and
mass communications. Students in an accredited program can expect to find a challenging
curriculum, appropriate resources and facilities, and a competent faculty.
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ACEJMC lists 12 professional values and competencies that must be part of the education of all
journalism, public relations, and mass communication students. Therefore, our graduates who
major in journalism and public relations should be able to do the following:
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understand and apply the principles and laws of freedom of speech and press, for the
country in which the institution that invites ACEJMC is located, as well as receive
instruction in and understand the range of systems of freedom of expression around the
world, including the right to dissent, to monitor and criticize power, and to assemble and
petition for redress of grievances;
demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in
shaping communications; (Taking JOUR418 should allow students to meet this
learning outcome.)
demonstrate an understanding of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and, as
appropriate, other forms of diversity in domestic society in relation to mass
communications;
demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of peoples and cultures and of the
significance and impact of mass communications in a global society;
understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and
information;
demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in
pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity;
think critically, creatively and independently;
conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the
communications professions in which they work;
write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications
professions, audiences and purposes they serve;
critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity,
appropriate style and grammatical correctness;
apply basic numerical and statistical concepts;
apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which
they work.
And Finally, 240 Words About the Professor to end this very long syllabus
I put this at the end of the syllabus because this course isn’t about me. But you deserve to know
who is standing in front of you twice a week. I’m a 20-year veteran of print journalism, a
Midwestern (Ohio) native, and was a Washington correspondent for the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
from 1982-1989. I lived in Washington from 1978-1989, the longest I have been anywhere in my
adult life other than California, and politics is one of my passions. Covering and analyzing – not
participating in -- political media is my interest, however. Though I have been a public relations
practitioner in political campaigns, for me politics is much like a game, and no single political party
or politician has all the answers. My other chief passion is the outdoors, so why, you might ask,
have I migrated to the second-biggest urban area in the country (outside New York) from Colorado,
where I lived for eight years (1993-2001)? (I worked in Colorado on two daily papers (in Pueblo and
Fort Collins) and was awarded my Ph.D. in political science from Colorado State University during
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this era.) I have been a Californian for 12 years now, and have concluded that despite all its
problems, greater Los Angeles is a vibrant, exciting, multicultural city that is on the cutting edge of
media trends. For a journalist, it never hurts to be where the action is!! (If you want to know more,
just ask!)