San Antonio College Library

Threats to freedom of the press and the need for democratic dialogue are always greatest in wartime. At a time when the debate over the role of the free press is as contentious as ever before, John Byrne Cooke, son of the veteran journalist Alistair Cooke, delivers a must-read exploration of freedom of the press in wartime throughout American history. Reporting the War brings to life how the press has affected the course of some, but not all, American...

"This is the first scholarly analysis of The London American, the pro-Union propaganda journal published in London during the American Civil War, and the motives and troubles of its proprietor, John Adams Knight, a Northern American based in the British capital. The newspaper's successes and failures in attempts to manipulate British public opinion during the war are compared with that of The Index, its rival Confederate propaganda weekly headquartered...

"Black journalists have vigorously exercised their First Amendment right since the founding of Freedom's Journal in 1827. World War II was no different in this regard, and Paul Alkebulan argues that it was the most important moment in the long history of that important institution. American historians have often postulated that WWII was a pivotal moment for the modern civil rights movement. This argument is partially based on the pressing need to...

"The 'Uncensored war' provides a deeply detailed account of what Americans read and watched about Vietnam. Hallin draws on the complete body of the New York times coverage from 1961 to 1965, on hundreds of television reports from 1965-73, including television footage filmed by the Defense Department during the early years of the war, and on interviews with many of the journalists who reported the war, to give a powerful critique of the conventional...

After decades of open borders, a xenophobic backlash prompts the United States to pass laws restricting immigration. In Germany, Hitler finds support for his antisemitic rhetoric and the Nazis begin their persecution of Jewish people, causing many to flee to neighboring countries or America. FDR and other world leaders are concerned by the growing refugee crisis but fail to coordinate a response.

The first reports of the killing reach the United States. A group of dedicated government officials form the War Refugee Board to finance and support rescue operations. As the Allies advance, soldiers uncover mass graves and liberate German concentration camps, revealing the sheer scale of the Holocaust. The danger of its reverberations becomes apparent.

"The Bush administration marketed and sold the war in Iraq to the American people. How and why did the press buy it, and what does that say about the role of journalists in helping the public sort out fact from propaganda? In this program, veteran journalist Bill Moyers, award-winning producer Kathleen Hughes, and their investigative team piece together the reporting and political spin that shaped the public mind prior to, during, and following the...