Review by Choice Review
Junger (communication and English, Western Michigan Univ; The Journalist as Reformer, 1996) focuses on 19th-century Chicago's journalism medium as a political agenda-setting and public interpretative instrument. He points out that newspapers engaged in boosterism, political partisanship, market reporting (given Chicago's central role in commodity and land speculation), sensationalism (especially in exposing upper-class scandals), literary realism, and local humor. Junger emphasizes the importance of the press's role in promoting Chicago: it unified disparate groups and served as mouthpiece for helping Chicago surpass rivals both regional (e.g., St. Louis) and national (chiefly New York). Using primarily early English-language newspapers and also letters, diaries, maps, memoirs, and out-of-town newspaper accounts of Chicago, the author reveals the importance of the press in providing opinion and Zeitgeist. Perhaps Junger's most notable contributions are his vivid portraits of Chicago's enterprising newspapermen--John Wentworth (Chicago Democrat), Joseph Medill (Chicago Tribune), and Wilbur Storey (Chicago Times)--and his depiction of the waging of the Civil War in the pages of the Times and the Tribune. Scholars will appreciate the detail and annotations, but those seeking a livelier work may prefer Wayne Klatt's Chicago Journalism (2009), which covers both the 19th and 20th centuries. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty/professionals. F. J. Augustyn Jr. Library of Congress
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
