Social Justice, Activism and Diversity in U.S. Media History

This book offers a diverse approach to journalism history told from a multimedia perspective, re-examining mainstream stories and highlighting contributions that are often overlooked.

Bringing together a team of prominent journalism historians, the volume centers race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, class, religion, disability, mental health and generations to tell forgotten stories of journalism’s historical influence. The book is designed to appeal to Generation Z college students, offering budding mass communicators a valuable tool that addresses gaps in historical pedagogy and fosters representation in the classroom. Each chapter contains access to video and podcast extras, chapter summaries, guides to further reading and suggested activities to bring these narratives alive and keep readers engaged.

Interactive and accessible, Social Justice, Activism and Diversity in U.S. Media History is an indispensable resource for Generation Z, scholars in mass communication and American history, journalists and general readers.

Teri Finneman is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Kansas. Her research focuses on historical news coverage of U.S. women in politics. She also is an oral historian focusing on local news in Great Plains states. She is the author of Press Portrayals of Women Politicians, 1870s-2000s.

Erika Pribanic-Smith is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research focuses on political communication in 19th and early 20th century newspapers and magazines. She also researches the dissident press. She is the co-author of Emma Goldman’s No-Conscription League and the First Amendment.