Wm. David Sloan

Since Joseph Pulitzer first established a prize for the best editorial in1917, the award’s prestige has grown steadily. Today the Pulitzer is acknowledged as the most distinguished prize in journalism. All 87 years of these prize-winning pieces are collected in the updated third edition of Pulitzer Prize Editorials: America’s Best Writing, 1917-2003. This book is an impressive anthology that illustrates the evolution of editorial writing over the decades. Each entry contains the entire, unabridged text of the prize-winning editorial from that year, and is preceded by a succinct introduction from the editors. From students learning the craft to accomplished opinion writers, Pulitzer Prize Editorials makes it possible for all students of editorial writing to learn from the bestrs.

This unique volume is based on the philosophy that the teaching of history should emphasize critical thinking and attempt to involve the student intellectually, rather than simply provide names, dates, and places to memorize. The book approaches history not as a cut-and-dried recitation of a collection of facts but as multifaceted discipline. In examining the various perspectives historians have provided, the author brings a vitality to the study of history that students normally do not gain. The text is comprised of 24 historiographical essays, each of which discusses the major interpretations of a significant topic in mass communication history. Students are challenged to evaluate each approach critically and to develop their own explanations. As a textbook designed specifically for use in graduate level communication history courses, it should serve as a stimulating pedagogical tool.

This unique volume is based on the philosophy that the teaching of history should emphasize critical thinking and attempt to involve the student intellectually, rather than simply provide names, dates, and places to memorize. The book approaches history not as a cut-and-dried recitation of a collection of facts but as multifaceted discipline. In examining the various perspectives historians have provided, the author brings a vitality to the study of history that students normally do not gain. The text is comprised of 24 historiographical essays, each of which discusses the major interpretations of a significant topic in mass communication history. Students are challenged to evaluate each approach critically and to develop their own explanations. As a textbook designed specifically for use in graduate level communication history courses, it should serve as a stimulating pedagogical tool.