Editors: A photo of Patrick Washburn is available at:
www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/WASHBURN.JPG
ATHENS, Ohio (March 31, 2000) -- Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly has
selected "A Question of Sedition: The Federal Government's Investigation of
the Black Press During World War II" by Ohio University Associate Professor
of Journalism Patrick Washburn as one of the top books on communication in
the 20th century.
The winter 1999 issue of the quarterly lists Washburn's book, a
history of black newspapers during World War II, as one of the 35 most
"significant journalism and communication books of the twentieth century."
Other books on the list include "The Powers That Be" by David Halberstam,
"Public Opinion" by Walter Lippmann, "All the Presidentís Men" by Carl
Bernstein and Bob Woodward and "Mediating the Message: Theories on Mass
Media Content" by Pamela J. Shoemaker and Stephen D. Reese. Shoemaker, the
Jon Ben Snow Professor at Syracuse University, completed bachelor's and
master's degrees in journalism at Ohio University in 1972.
The JMCQ editor, book review editor and a book selection committee
chose books for the list.
"The books on this list have advanced mass communication as a
discipline by providing unique insight, creative thinking, exhaustive and
original research and critical analysis," the editors said.
Since it was first established in 1924 as The Journalism Bulletin,
the quarterly has reviewed more than 5,000 books and announced the
publication of another 30,000 titles.
"I am surprised and honored to be in such distinguished company as
Walter Lippmann, David Halberstam, Marshall McLuhan and Woodward and
Bernstein," Washburn said. "It is particularly gratifying to be recognized
by the top journal in the mass communication field."
Washburn also served as technical adviser and appeared in Soldiers
without Swords, a PBS documentary on the black press that won the
DuPont-Columbia University Award in January.
