First published 2011
Juan Gonzalez examines how race shaped American media from colonial newspapers through the digital era. His narrative reveals the deliberate ways publishers and broadcasters promoted racial violence and discrimination. The book documents how segregation warped the information mainstream outlets delivered to Americans. Gonzalez traces federal policies that reinforced these divisions, like Herbert Hoover's Federal Radio Commission granting broadcast licenses to Ku Klux Klan groups in Washington. The author also chronicles resistance efforts by journalists of color who created vibrant alternative publications. He profiles figures like Pittsburgh Courier publisher Robert L. Vann, who mounted a national campaign against the blackface show Amos n Andy. The story follows these journalists as they eventually broke into major media companies starting in the 1970s. Gonzalez draws on extensive archival research to present both celebrated and forgotten media figures. The book offers readers a comprehensive view of how racial conflict and federal policy jointly constructed America's segregated information system.
Genres: 20th-century, african-american, non-fiction, 21st-century, journalism, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, investigative-journalism, social-commentary
Setting: Washington, Pittsburgh
Period: Colonial Era, Digital Era
453 pages · Hardcover · Verso
Content warnings: racism