Roy Alden Atwood | Nehemiah Gateway University (original) (raw)

Book Chapter by Roy Alden Atwood

Science Bulletin (special edition) of Fan S. Noli University of Korce (Albania): Selected Works by the International Conference "Teaching and Learning: Competence-Based University Curriculum", 2017

Metaphors help us grasp reality, Alistair Roberts argues, " by mapping one domain of reality onto... more Metaphors help us grasp reality, Alistair Roberts argues, " by mapping one domain of reality onto another and drawing analogies between the two " (Roberts, 2016). Competence is a metaphor, rooted in the professions, whose value remains debatable when applied to education. Over the past 20 years, competence-based education has metaphorically mapped the domain of the professions onto general education and drawn analogies between the two with mixed results. Competence-based education may have countered the weaknesses of the older intellectualized system of the " sage on stage " lecture download and diplomas awarded for " seat time " or " credit hours, " but it has done little to help students grasp how things interrelate in our complex world. I propose a different metaphor to reconceptualize the educational task: the symphony. To perform (or to listen appreciatively to) a symphony requires not merely cognitive development (knowledge; music history and theory) or proficiency in the instrumental interpretation of that knowledge (skill; performance, instrumental ability), but also the formation of one's affections (feelings, desires; the emotive expression or " feel " of the music in real time), and the values that inspire the performance (beliefs, assumptions; the critical self-awareness of one's beliefs and the telos of the musical experience). When these constitutive elements of education are woven together with that ancient integrative principle called wisdom, they become more than the sum of their parts. A symphony aspires to be more than competent; it aspires to inspire. Education becomes a magnificent symphony when it wisely blends knowledge, skill, affections, and values together in integrative, harmonic glory.

95 Theses for a New Reformation-Christian Colleges: For the Church on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, ed. by Aaron Hebbard, 2017

A Reformational call to Christian colleges and universities to retain or to revive their distinct... more A Reformational call to Christian colleges and universities to retain or to revive their distinctive Christian character and mission.

The stories in this collection are not philosophical or theological essays, to be sure, but they ... more The stories in this collection are not philosophical or theological essays, to be sure, but they challenge us to reflect on our deepest presuppositions and priorities about the kinds of stories we want to write about ourselves and the standards by which we will judge them. They ask us what kind of people we want to become. What are the stories our children will tell about us and the decisions we made today to future generations? With postmodernism’s dissolution of the ancestral order, where will we find or rebuild our moral codes and ethical foundations? Since the end of Communism’s long lie and the start of Islam’s new period of radical violence, where can we find a coherent national identity and common ground to engage in civil discourse that preserves peace, social harmony, and our civilization? A good place to start is to read true stories told honestly, such as those in this collection.

The objectivity of standardized college admissions tests is a myth. It remains a persistent and p... more The objectivity of standardized college admissions tests is a myth. It remains a persistent and popular myth despite its lack of empirical and theoretical support. The dominant SAT and ACT exams not only fail to achieve what they, and the institutions that require them, claim they achieve, according to a sizable body of critical research, but they do so by standing on a host of questionable assumptions about scientific objectivity and value neutrality. The objectivity myth enveloping the academic testing industry is disingenuously sustained or quietly acknowledged by the test makers themselves, government agencies, rankings services, universities, and unsuspecting test-takers. There is no objectivity; there is no neutrality. The myth that there is is misleading and ultimately counterproductive to academic improvement, distortive of college rankings, and overemphasized in admissions decisions. It is this myth of objectivity that nevertheless drives educational policies across the country and sustains a " non-profit " testing industry now worth several billions of dollars. That should change.

An overview of the mass media and communication history from a Trinitarian perspective. The artic... more An overview of the mass media and communication history from a Trinitarian perspective. The article follows a classical framework (following the Trivium: grammatical, logical, and rhetorical perspectives) for its analysis.

A chapter in Omnibus VI: The Modern World, ed. by Gene Edward Veith, et al. (Lancaster, PA: Veritas Press, 2012)

Articles by Roy Alden Atwood

CLT Journal, 2020

The theological revolution of Calvinism has affected all facets of modern culture. To understand ... more The theological revolution of Calvinism has affected all facets of modern culture. To understand the founding principles of the American political system, one must turn to John Calvin. To understand the theology and ecclesiology of most of Protestant Christianity and its great rift with Rome, one must turn to Calvin. Indeed, to understand the trajectory of western civilization after the Reformation, one must study Calvin.

Public Relations Review, 2004

Practitioners using the internet in their public relations efforts often do not use the interacti... more Practitioners using the internet in their public relations efforts often do not use the interactive features of the medium to their fullest potential. This article explores the interactive nature of the internet by applying the two-way symmetrical model of public relations to the web sites of 10 South African non-profit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The findings confirm that managing a web site successfully requires more than technical knowledge. Much more important is a sound understanding of communication within an organization, especially with regard to public relations. An understanding and practice of the two-way symmetrical model would optimize the communicative use of an organizational web site.

Probably the first graduate study of news reporting was a doctoral dissertation, "De relationibus... more Probably the first graduate study of news reporting was a doctoral dissertation, "De relationibus novellis" (On news reporting), written in Germany in 1690. A history and analysis of 17th century news reporting, it anticipated major themes of news research not fully explored until the latter half of the 20th century. Written in Latin, Peucer's short dissertation of approximately 6000 words, divided into 29 statements, presented an historical overview and analysis of the forms, motivations, and methods of news reporting, "of which," he wrote, "there is a present a great deal on every hand." Peucer's research contributes to our understanding of early news reporting and offers scholarly insights still relevant today.

The introduction of RFD into southeastern Iowa illustrates that whatever news or color of the out... more The introduction of RFD into southeastern Iowa illustrates that whatever news or color of the outside world the RFD system may have brought to the farmhouse gate, it rendered obsolete the small local post offices and general stores where people had gathered to share news and gossip. RFD enabled mail order houses to challenge the very economic stability and cultural values of Iowa's rural communities. RFD epitomized the ambiguity of modern improvements in country life and represented rural "progress" that fundamentally changed--for better and worse--the character of public life and public discourse in Iowa's rural regions at the turn of the 20th century.

Interactivity is one of the most prominent features of the Internet, distinguishing it from tradi... more Interactivity is one of the most prominent features of the Internet, distinguishing it from traditional mass media such as newspapers or television. However, when discussing the concept of interactivity, most people tend to think only about the bells and whistles on particular web sites without considering interactivity as a theoretical concept. As this aspect has such important implications for communication theory, in general, and for the use of the Internet as a communication medium, it is essential for communication scholars and all communication practitioners (including public relations practitioners) to understand the theoretical roots of interactivity. This would enable academics to apply interactivity as a theoretical concept to new media research and practitioners to make better use of the Internet as a communication medium. This article explores the concept of interactivity and makes a connection between interactivity and the application of the two-way symmetrical model of public relations to public relations on the web.

Practitioners who use the internet as part of their public relations efforts often still do not a... more Practitioners who use the internet as part of their public relations efforts often still do not apply the interactive features to their fullest potential. This article is based on a study that aimed to address the void in public relations research as far as the application of new communication technology is concerned. The research focused on the interactive nature of the internet by applying the two-way symmetrical model of public relations to the websites of ten South African NGOs. This article deals with two of these NGOs and their use of the World Wide Web. It was confirmed that more than technical knowledge is required to manage a website successfully. Much more important is a sound understanding of the communication function within an organisation, especially with regard to public relations. Understanding and practising the two-way symmetrical model would in the long run be beneficial to the optimum use of an organisational website.
Principal author: Annelie Naude

Eight handwritten shipboard papers are analyzed in this paper. Five papers, Barometer, The Emigr... more Eight handwritten shipboard papers are analyzed in this paper. Five papers, Barometer, The Emigrant, Flying Fish, The Petrel, and The Shark were written on ships out of Boston, New Orleans, and Sydney enroute to the California gold fields between 1849 and 1851. The other three papers were published aboard British naval vessels. One was written by Royal Engineers enroute to Vancouver, B.C., via Cape Horn in 1858-1859. The other two were published by arctic explorers: The Illustrated Arctic News, issued on board H.M.S. Resolute off Alaska's Barrow Strait in 1850-1851 while searching for members of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated arctic expedition, and the New (or North) Georgia Gazette and Winter Chronicle, published during Sir William Edward Parry's (1790-1855) search for a "Northwest Passage" through the Canadian arctic archipelago in 1819-20.

This paper broadens the scope of inquiry into handwritten newspapers beyond the local and popular... more This paper broadens the scope of inquiry into handwritten newspapers beyond the local and popular history perspectives found in the existing literature. To that end, this study examines the 105 handwritten newspapers published between 1819 and 1910 in the Canadian provinces and American states west of the 98th meridian, a line that cuts from the Northwest Territories and Manitoba in the north, to Texas in the south. The collective portrait of these papers that follows is based on an analysis of complete or partial runs of the 78 extant papers identified to date, and an analysis of data compiled from other primary and secondary sources for all 105 periodicals.

This study describes and analyzes nine handwritten prison camp newspapers that appeared during th... more This study describes and analyzes nine handwritten prison camp newspapers that appeared during the Texan Santa Fe Expedition, 1841-1842, and the Civil War, 1861-1865: True Blue (1842), The Libby Chronicle (1863), Right Flanker (1863-1864), The Old Flag (1864), The Corn-Dodger Advocate and Undaunted Companion (1864?), The Prisoner Vidette (1864), The Camp Ford News (1865), the Prison Times (1865), and The Stonewall Register (1865).

To affirm the existence of handwritten newspapers in significant numbers after the advent of prin... more To affirm the existence of handwritten newspapers in significant numbers after the advent of printing undermines many a journalism historian's uncritical fideism in technological progress. The handwritten newspapers revealed in this study cannot be pushed aside as some antiquarian curiosity. Professor Smith offers here a compelling case that handwritten newspapers deserve a more prominent place in the history of American journalism and in our theories of communication technology.

Early telephone companies were sometimes closely tied to the newspaper industry, even in rural ar... more Early telephone companies were sometimes closely tied to the newspaper industry, even in rural areas. This article examines the telephone industry in SE Iowa, USA, and finds that newspaper owners, editors, and publishers played a pivotal role in the development of the independent telephone business in the region, a role that went well beyond the employment of the telephone for news gathering purposes. They helped establish and maintain both the commercial and mutual wings of the independent phone movement. Financially, philosophically, and editorially they helped to promote the telephone as an end in itself, and as an aid to their news operations. As close relationship between the newsroom and the telephone office thus extends as far back as the establishment of the telephone industry itself.

The perennial debate over how much influence industry should have on media education took a new t... more The perennial debate over how much influence industry should have on media education took a new twist in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1980s when Allied Dailies, a regional newspaper association, launched a controversial program to evaluate area journalism schools. Cooperative schools were promised financial aid and in‐kind services; uncooperative schools were threatened with “benign neglect.” Educators gave the program mixed reviews: they welcome improved relations between professionals and educators ‐ but not at the price of coercion, proscription, or loss of academic freedom. This article chronicles “the Allied controversy” and examines the ethical issues it raises for the ongoing relationship between the industry and the academy.

Three handwritten newspapers were published in southeastern Iowa near the end of the Iowa Territo... more Three handwritten newspapers were published in southeastern Iowa near the end of the Iowa Territorial period. The Quarterly Visitor (1844), Domestic Quarterly Review (1844) and the Washington Shark (1854?). Printed newspapers were published in larger towns closer to the Mississippi River, but these papers appeared in small frontier communities with aspirations for growth, yet they lacked local printing presses. Each of the editors had political interests and would serve in local civic positions in the future. All were close to the business life of their young, isolated communities, and may have turned to handwritten papers as one way to improve cultural and economic conditions on the Iowa frontier.

Journalism Educator (now Journalism & Mass Communication Educator), 1983

Cognitive or intellectual learning (about the "what" of history) is not the only worthy goal in t... more Cognitive or intellectual learning (about the "what" of history) is not the only worthy goal in teaching the history of journalism and the mass media. At least two additional educational aims merit attention: ability learning and inclination learning. Ability learning (about the "how" or skills of historical inquiry) provides the tools and capacities to assess historical evidence and arguments. Inclination learning addresses the issues of moral choice and values within the historical context examined. If "responsible" journalism is at least one goal of journalism education, then addressing "why" and "when" knowledge and skills are applied in specific contexts at specific times and not others broaches the question of values and wisdom. Addressing these other pedagogical elements moves journalism history from the dry dust of dead factoids to the perennial issues that confront communicators and historians across disciplinary fields and timelines.

(Chinese translation of previously published article)

Science Bulletin (special edition) of Fan S. Noli University of Korce (Albania): Selected Works by the International Conference "Teaching and Learning: Competence-Based University Curriculum", 2017

95 Theses for a New Reformation-Christian Colleges: For the Church on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, ed. by Aaron Hebbard, 2017

A chapter in Omnibus VI: The Modern World, ed. by Gene Edward Veith, et al. (Lancaster, PA: Veritas Press, 2012)

CLT Journal, 2020

Public Relations Review, 2004

Journalism Educator (now Journalism & Mass Communication Educator), 1983

(Chinese translation of previously published article)

Christian Renewal, 2012

Christian Renewal Magazine (2012) Cover Story: "Higher Education--Change in the Wind" Christian ... more Christian Renewal Magazine (2012) Cover Story: "Higher Education--Change in the Wind"
Christian higher education today is in quite a state—of uncertainty, turmoil, and sometimes denial. Across North America, distance education has changed the way we think about and provide higher education. Growing for-profit colleges are pulling students away from traditional campuses and eating up a huge percentage of federal financial aid dollars. The economic downturn has left families less able to afford college and undermined the financial stability of many private and public institutions. And federal and state governments have never been more intrusive. For Christian colleges, these are not easy times. Both the opportunities and challenges they face have never been more volatile and fraught with risk. Brave New World of Distance Ed One of the biggest game-changers in higher education today is online or " distance " education. It has increasingly made post-secondary learning more accessible, less expensive, and rendered the bricks-and-mortar campus less relevant. The " typical college experience " today no longer aligns necessarily with time spent on a residential campus. Ironically, this change comes on the heels of massive private college investments in infrastructures and on-campus services to create what I like to call " academic cruise ships in dry dock. " Over the past 30 years, colleges have tried to build glitzier, ritzier campuses to attract more and better (and wealthier) students. Even small Christian colleges have succumbed to the edifice complex: the pressure to build landmark towers, resort-like residence halls, gourmet food services, state-of-the-art recreational and entertainment facilities, and champion-caliber intercollegiate sports programs. Such campuses differ little from cruise ships, except for the water and scenery (to test my comparison between colleges and cruise ships, look up the per person cost of a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean or Mexican Riviera, multiple that times the number of weeks in an academic year [about 30-32]; your total should be close to the average annual private U.S. college tuition: $30,000). Distance education programs now allow students who can't afford or don't want to pay for such luxury " cruise ship " college experiences to earn degrees online while keeping their jobs, saving money, living at home, being near family and friends, and attending their home church. The enrollment and financial impact of distance ed on the traditional residential colleges is already being keenly felt. Many smaller private liberal arts colleges, especially those in the Reformed tradition, may still stress intellectual and spiritual mentorship and offer a less than extravagant " cruise ship " campus experience, yet they too must compete directly with online degree programs. While Reformed colleges have been slow to adopt online education, evangelical colleges have not. Some evangelical institutions, like Liberty University in Virginia, are now dominated by non-residential e-learning. Today, Liberty boasts being the largest Christian university in the world. It has an on-campus enrollment of 12,500, but more than 60,000 online students. Total enrollment is approaching 80,000 students. College prospects who might have been lured to a traditional residential campus are now just as likely to stay at home and take online classes. Campuses without distance learning have been forced to give it a serious second look. The quality of online higher education may still be suspect (for good reasons), but the financial, social, and spiritual benefits often carry the day with parents concerned about traditional campus immorality and leftist ideology. A common refrain I hear from parents considering Christian colleges for their children is, " Why should I spend big money to send my kids off to be indoctrinated in alien doctrines and political views I abhor? " With more historically conservative and Reformed Christian colleges now officially embracing evolutionary theory, feminism, homosexuality and other positions indistinguishable from many found on secular campuses, the rationale for attending a residential Christian college is less compelling. By contrast, online college programs, where students and parents together can be much more selective about the courses and programs taken can make better sense financially and spiritually.

The sea change in the moral order and the spiral of silence that has stilled voices opposed to th... more The sea change in the moral order and the spiral of silence that has stilled voices opposed to the sexual revolution confirm what author E. Michael Jones has argued in his compelling book, Libido Dominandi: Sexual Liberation and Political Control (2000): the sexual revolution is ultimately about political control. It is a way of harnessing human lust to serve and to sustain a secular state.

Aesthetic faithfulness has less to do with the institutions of art, music, literature, or drama, ... more Aesthetic faithfulness has less to do with the institutions of art, music, literature, or drama, than with the thoughtful exercise of our aesthetic talents and opportunities. Notice this does not mean burying our aesthetic talents by covering our walls with "art" or stocking our music libraries with the latest hit CDs or strategically placing glossy literary magazines on our coffee tables. Surrounding oneself with artsy commodities produced by others no more constitutes a personal act of aesthetic faithfulness than does owning a stack of Bibles make one a Christian. Owning fine art, music, or literature is not wrong, of course, but mere possession is not the same as faithful action. Faithful action in the sphere of aesthetics also means that we dare not subordinate aesthetics to some other sphere of creaturely activity. If our home is a spartan four-walled cubicle shorn of any aesthetically redeeming value because good art and furniture cost too much, or if we'd rather wear our work clothes to our 20th wedding anniversary dinner at Arby's than spend money on clothes and a meal more suited to the occasion, then we have probably buried our aesthetic talents somewhere under our economic anxieties. If we limit the art on our walls to praying hands and cross-stitched Bible verses, or if we listen only to sermon tapes and "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs," then we have probably bound ourselves aesthetically in a theological straightjacket. Our finances and theology do have obvious implications for our aesthetic acts, but reducing our aesthetic acts to matters of economics, theology, or any other sphere denigrates the Lord's sovereignty over aesthetics. We must be faithful in all things, and not just few things, pretending that by so doing we fulfill our Christian duties in the supposed "lesser" spheres such as aesthetics.

If “free” tuition becomes common at state schools, private tuition-based institutions will be dis... more If “free” tuition becomes common at state schools, private tuition-based institutions will be disadvantaged against the government’s tax-subsidized academies for second-year students and transfers.
Dual credit programs are already struggling to meet college faculty standards and free community college education won’t tend to raise academic standards or student expectations. The more students who go through these programs, the more pressure private colleges will feel for lowering their academic standards. They will have to admit more transfer students who are less well educated than those who started at their own institutions as freshmen. Ironically, the President compared his “free” college plan to America’s free government high schools. Given the poor quality of today’s government schools, the country—especially Christian colleges—should be very worried that this conceptually similar plan actually gets traction.

The Handwritten Newspapers Project provides bibliographical data, images, resource links, and res... more The Handwritten Newspapers Project provides bibliographical data, images, resource links, and research notes for hundreds of rare manuscript publications produced under extraordinary conditions in remarkable settings. Most of the works contained here are from North America, particularly Canada and the United States. Most were published during the 19th century. However, this study includes newspapers from around the globe–including Asia, Europe, and Australia–and they date from the ancient world to the present.

An introduction and overview of educational research for teachers and administrators. Written by ... more An introduction and overview of educational research for teachers and administrators. Written by Nephat J. Kathuri and Douglas A. Pals. Edited by Roy Alden Atwood

Endorsed by the Idaho Press Club Overview of journalism and media law (libel, privacy, public re... more Endorsed by the Idaho Press Club

Overview of journalism and media law (libel, privacy, public records, public meetings, etc.) in Idaho.

Educando a Realeza (Portuguese), 2020

Essay on Reformed approach to educating children ISBN 978-65-89129-00-4

Science Bulletin of Fan S. Noli University of Korce: Special Edition: Selected Works by the International Conference: "Teaching and Learning: Competence-Based University Curriculum", 2018

ISSN: 2078-7111 Keynote Address: International Conference on Teaching and Learning: Competence-B... more ISSN: 2078-7111

Keynote Address: International Conference on Teaching and Learning: Competence-Based Higher Education Curriculum, Fan S. Noli University, Korçë, Albania, 28 September 2017

Metaphors help us grasp reality, Alistair Roberts argues, “by mapping one domain of reality onto another and drawing analogies between the two” (Roberts, 2016). Competence is a metaphor, rooted in the professions, whose value remains debatable when applied to education. Over the past 20 years, competence-based education has metaphorically mapped the domain of the professions onto general education and drawn analogies between the two with mixed results. Competence-based education may have countered the weaknesses of the older intellectualized system of the “sage on stage” lecture download and diplomas awarded for “seat time” or “credit hours,” but it has done little to help students grasp how things interrelate in our complex world. I propose a different metaphor to reconceptualize the educational task: education as a symphony. To perform (or to listen appreciatively to) a symphony requires not merely cognitive development (knowledge; music history and theory) or proficiency in the instrumental interpretation of that knowledge (skill; instrumental ability), but also the formation of one’s affections (feelings, desires; the “feel” or emotive expression of the music in real time), and the values that inspire the performance (beliefs, assumptions; the critical self-awareness of one’s beliefs and the telos of the musical experience). When these constitutive elements of education are woven together with that ancient integrative principle called wisdom, they become more than the sum of their parts. A symphony aspires to be more than competent. Education becomes a magnificent symphony when it wisely brings knowledge, skill, affections, and values together in harmonic glory.

The Protestant Reformation’s five great “Solas” often attract the most attention, but the Reforma... more The Protestant Reformation’s five great “Solas” often attract the most attention, but the Reformation’s reframing of a vision for the common life may be among its most significant, enduring, widespread yet least heralded contributions. The reframing of the common life emerged, in part, from the magisterial Reformers’ (Luther, Calvin and Zwingli) debates over the theology of the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper. Their positions on the Eucharist not only reimagined our fellowship with God and other members of the body of Christ around a common table (communion), but encouraged the idea of a common language (communication; taking God’s Word and worship from ecclesiastical Latin to the vernacular or the regional, common tongue), and relocated the bonds of our common social life necessary for community or a public sphere not in the institutional church but in the universal Lordship of the Ascended Christ. As the late Professor James W. Carey, an Irish-American Roman Catholic media scholar, once put it, there is more than an etymological connection between the ancient understanding of “common,” “communion,” “communication,” and “community.” Thanks to the Reformers, these interrelated concepts, rituals, and structures, transformed Europe’s understanding and habits in its common life within the public sphere. That was not an easy or smooth transition, to be sure. However, the Reformation, contrary to “received sociology,” recovered the inescapably religious and communal nature of the public sphere (not just of the institutional church) and established a vision for the common life governed by the biblically rooted principles of the rule of law, justice, and charity within an inescapably pluralistic and covenantal (though not exclusively Christian) context. The Protestant vision of the common life further laid the foundations for the earliest forms of representative government, republicanism, and freedom of conscience and expression, now commonly, but incorrectly attributed to secular, modern democracy.

The bodily ascension of our Lord Jesus is one of the great and glorious doctrines of the Christia... more The bodily ascension of our Lord Jesus is one of the great and glorious doctrines of the Christian church. Yet it is arguably the most neglected doctrine among evangelicals and Protestants today. It is certainly one of our least understood and least appreciated doctrines. This presentation stresses the ascension's “centrality” quite literally, not merely metaphorically. The ascension—not the cross, not the resurrection, not Pentecost—is at the center of the Bible, Christian soteriology, and Christian ecclesiology. The ascension is the Archimedean point of history, because it is at the heart, the center of our redemption, to which everything in the Scripture points, around which the entire story of the redemption of all things pivots, and from which everything touching Christian education unfolds. To neglect or to minimize the ascension, then, will inevitably have serious negative consequences. Without a proper grasp of the ascension, the Bible itself is at risk of being misinterpreted, our theologies misguided, the mission of the church misunderstood, and our educational task misdirected. This presentation offers a glimpse of the importance of the ascension for the Christian life and challenges the church and the academy to re-center the Gospel and our pursuits in Christian education on the ascension.

“The strength of the book is…the author’s ability to untangle the thousands of social, political,... more “The strength of the book is…the author’s ability to untangle the thousands of social, political, economic, and cultural threads of the postal fabric and to rearrange them into a clear and compelling social history.”—Roy Alden Atwood, The Journal of American History

Eisenstein argues that the advent of printing constituted a decisive and fundamental (though not ... more Eisenstein argues that the advent of printing constituted a decisive and fundamental (though not absolute) break between two cultural forms, notably in relation to the modes of cultural production and social consciousness. Though certain features of culture remained the same after the advent of printing, its adoption nevertheless significantly altered perception, thought and forms of intellectual and social interaction, and consequently introduced a cultural revolution. Despite several shortcomings, the work is one approach to the study of media worthy of emulation. It exemplifies a sensible understanding and treatment of communication technology which avoids the undue caution and neglect of traditional historical accounts and the undue excesses of McLuhan and uncritical progressive boosters of the latest gadgets. The value of her work resides in her recognition and demonstration that humans are social and cultural beings whose communicative, symbolic acts and rituals must be understood as they appear in their intricate and sometimes contradictory interplay with social, cultural, and historical conditions.

Holding the Line offers an insightful blend of scholarly theory, uncompromising qualitative rese... more Holding the Line offers an insightful blend of scholarly theory,
uncompromising qualitative research methodologies, and a captivating historical narrative. The book's only notable weakness is that the author never fully explicates the biblical and theological foundations for the Amish way of life that are central to understanding their views of community, change, and technology. Nevertheless, the author is sufficiently sensitive, even sympathetic, to the Amish worldview to prevent this omission from undermining an otherwise superb work.

Holding the Line shows that the Amish struggle with the telephone and the cultural meanings it embodies was and is no mindless, Luddite, knee-jerk reaction against progressivism's technological idolatry. Rather, it was and is the soul-felt struggle of a thoughtful people to preserve its religious identity, its way of life, and its cultural values in its encounter with a communication technology that still has more potential to undermine community—Amish or otherwise—than to improve the human condition or save us from our sins.

All the News is a relatively brief biography of Arthur Aull, the irrepressible editor and publish... more All the News is a relatively brief biography of Arthur Aull, the irrepressible editor and publisher of the Lamar (Missouri) Democrat from 1900 to 1948. Aull was a tireless practitioner of "personal joumalism," writing nearly aU the news stories, columns, and editorials that appeared in his six-days-a-week newspaper. He was a force in local and Missouri state politics in the early years of the century, and eventually gained a modest degree of recognition in the national press for his hard-boiled journalism in the 1930s and 1940s.

Journalism History, Oct 1, 1996

The Annals of Iowa, 1986

THE POPULAR IMAGE of country life at the turn of the century was a negative one. The causes of ru... more THE POPULAR IMAGE of country life at the turn of the century was a negative one. The causes of rural decline-real and imaginedwere typically identified as the social isolation of farm families, urban growth and development, and the general unavailability of modern conveniences in the country. Solutions to these problems were, of course, many and varied. Rural free delivery mail service (RFD) was one such solution that was greeted with much fanfare. The United States Senate's Commission on Country Life suggested in 1911, for example, that the "awakening" of rural culture would be "greatly aided by the rural free delivery mails."' Despite the great expectations for RFD, however, this service came to epitomize the ambiguity of "modern improvements" in communication technologies for agricultural communities. Rural delivery promised "permanent progress" in the conditions of country life, but it permanently changed the very character of the country in the process. Rural discourse and rural culture were fundamentally transformed with the introduction of this new means of communication. Rural newspaper editors articulated much of the ambivalence rural residents felt toward RFD and the changes it wrought in their lives. Initially greeting the mail service with enthusiasm, these editors rethought their support when RFD's implications began to be manifest in their communities.1

ED188219 - Handwritten Newspapers on the Iowa Frontier, 1844-54.

Canadian Journal of Communication, 1990

costs of a market exchange and sometimes to mean an externality (that is, the effect caused by a ... more costs of a market exchange and sometimes to mean an externality (that is, the effect caused by a market exchange on someone not a party to that exchange). There is a huge and growing literature relating transaction costs and externalities, but they are distinct concepts. Nothing is gained by lumping them together under anew term; in fact, doing so leads to unnecessary confusion, as Bates' discussion of advertising and education shows. Along with other authors in this book, Bates sees the imperfections in private market transactions, but then views the government sector as smoothly functioning and well informed. If the term "political economy" is to mean anything useful, it must be related to the economics that is taught in most recognized universities. The Political Economy oflnformation is an example of false advertising. It will certainly mislead any student curious about the real world.

Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies, 1998

Page 1. U6 Ecquid Novi - Book Review Ecquid Novi ISSN 0256-0054 1998 19(0:116-124 RA Atwood The q... more Page 1. U6 Ecquid Novi - Book Review Ecquid Novi ISSN 0256-0054 1998 19(0:116-124 RA Atwood The quest for qualitative methods in media research Creswell, JW 1998. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ...

Journal of Communication Inquiry, 1978

Critical reflection on the dimensions and directions of journalism historiography is not prevalen... more Critical reflection on the dimensions and directions of journalism historiography is not prevalent among practicing journalism histori-ans. The pervasive influence of the progressive tradition has encour-aged few journalism historians to re-examine the philosophical and ...

American Journalism, 1985

Probably the first graduate study of news reporting was a doctoral dissertation, “De relationibus... more Probably the first graduate study of news reporting was a doctoral dissertation, “De relationibus novellis” (On news reporting), written in Germany in 1690. A history and analysis of seventeenth-century news reporting, it anticipated major themes of news research not fully
explored until the latter half of the twentieth century. Written in Latin, Peucer’s short dissertation of approximately 6000 words, divided into 29 statements, presented a historical overview and analysis of the forms, motivations and methods of news reporting, “of which,” he wrote, “there is at present a great deal on every hand”. Peucer’s research contributes to our understanding of early news reporting and offers scholarly insights still relevant today.

This paper assesses the Polish search for a new model of press freedom that can, to paraphrase Wa... more This paper assesses the Polish search for a new model of press freedom that can, to paraphrase Warsaw Voice editor, Andrzej Jonas, take Poland from its Communist roots to its heavenly dream without getting lost on the way. The study considers first the historical and theoretical contexts to the Polish quest for a new model of free expression. Drawing on intensive interview with more than a dozen Polish journalists--from Poland's largest circulation newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza, to Trybuna, one the Polish Communist Party's official newspaper, Trybuna Ludu (Tribune of the People)--this study then examines the distinctive features of the Polish media and their need for a distinctive Polish model. The final section analyzes Poland's first substantive revision of media policy, the new Broadcast Act, and its implication for an emerging press model. Inherent in this discussion will be consideration of the relative utility of Western models of democratic communication for post-Communist nations.

Since the collapse of Communist rule and the formal end of press censorship in 1989, two issues h... more Since the collapse of Communist rule and the formal end of press censorship in 1989, two issues have dominated discussion of the altered states of media practice and communication policy in Poland: the political-administrative wisdom of deregulating and liberalizing mass communication (