hen the U.S. first faced the question of what role millions of free African-Americans should play in society, the news press was itself in transition.  The popular "penny-press" was beginning to replace newspapers that were connected to political parties.  The change would bring new standards to the news media. As journalism became a distinct profession, it aspired to a new model that increasingly valued accuracy and objectivity as more important to the public good than journalistic allegiance to political parties or causes. Similarly, the newly "independent" news media claimed to be more "fair" and "balanced" than its "biased" partisan rivals.  Yet, over the next 90 years, journalists would champion both white supremacy and racial equality. What can this history of media racism and racial advocacy teach us about the press today? This special discussion-starter program covers the entire time sweep of the episodes in Between Civil War and Civil Rights. 

PROGRAMS IN THIS SERIES How the South Won the War   Democracy's Denial: Revolutions in Wilmington   White Protestant Nation   Rosewood Reborn   American As Apple Pie   Media & Myths     Get Real Player

CLICK THE SOUND ICON TO LISTEN TO AN AUDIO EXCERPT         Reconstruction Time: 5:52 "The first casualty when war comes is truth:" the problems of accurate reporting, and public safety.         Introducing the Black Press Time: 2:08 community standards and community justice           A Real Press Riot  Time: 12:56 In black and white, at the Century's turn. "My constituents can't read, but damnit, they can see the pictures."           Press Values and Societal Values Time: 10:45 The press, and the Klan, reborn; objectivity vs.impact           The Mainstream Press versus the Black Press  Time: 6:27 (Rosewood)           The Black Press  Time: 4:11 Growth and Opposition           Alliances  Time: 9:05 The new press models: as advocate and as "socially-responsible" member of a society in transition         Remembering and Reconciliation Time: 7:23 Today's media face their—and society's—past and future.