Journalism And Memory

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Description

Although journalism has always been an important vehicle of collective memory, it has been neglected in discussions about how memory works. This fascinating book aims to correct that disjuncture, by tracking the ways in which journalism and shared memory mutually support, undermine, repair and challenge each other.

How is journalism's address to memory different from that of other institutions? What would the study of memory look like without journalism? And how would our understanding of journalism fall short without paying attention to memory? Bringing together leading scholars in journalism and memory studies, this collection makes explicit the longstanding and complicated role that journalism has played in keeping the past alive.

From anniversary issues and media retrospectives to simple verbal and visual analogies connecting past and present, journalism incorporates an address to earlier times across the wide array of its conventions and practices. How it does so and which triumphs and problems ensue in our understanding of collective memory constitute the charter of this volume.

Review: 'Here is a pioneer whole about journalism and memory relationships: two subjects seemingly contradictory and incompatible. This book will be a standard reference work.' - Pierre Nora 'Journalism and Memory sets the agenda for new research in memory studies. With a stellar cast of contributors, it renders visible the decisive role that journalism plays in the making of collective memory.

So far, memory studies has been surprisingly unaware of the workings of journalism as both an agent and reservoir of collective memory. Journalism and Memory puts the record of memory straight. It is my memory-book of the year.' - Astrid Erll, Professor of Anglophone Literatures and Cultures at Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, and author of Memory in Culture (2011). 'A major contribution to the fields of memory studies and journalism studies, this collection of essays by key scholars in these fields investigates the primary role played by journalism in the production of cultural memory.

With perspectives from around the globe, these essays examine not only why journalism has been a neglected site of inquiry in memory studies but offer an array of compelling examples of journalism's role as one of collective memory's 'first drafts'.' Marita Sturken, New York University, USA 'Journalism and Memory brings together an outstanding collection of scholars from many fields.

It is the best starting point for anyone interested in the memory work of journalism, and an important addition to both memory and journalism studies. If you are interested in how news media construct an ever-evolving collective memory, this book is required reading.' - John Nerone, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA