Short History of the Modern Media

Jim Cullen is Chair of the History Department at the Fieldston School in New York and a book review editor at the History News Network. He is the author of a dozen books, including Imperfect Presidents: Tales of Misadventure and Triumph (2007), Essaying the Past: How to Read, Write and Think about History, 2nd edition (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), and Sensing the Past: Hollywood Stars and Historical Visions (2013).

• List of Figures ixAcknowledgments xvIntroduction: Medium Message 1Overview 2Further Reading 111 Print’s Run: Publishing as Popular Culture 13Overview 14Genre Study / Terrifying pleasures: Horror 31Document Study / The ravenous imagination of Edgar Allan Poe 38Document Study / Carrie: Princess of blood, King of horror 44Further Reading 492 Dramatic Developments: The World of the Stage 51Overview 52Genre Study / Notes from the stage: The Broadway musical 69Document Study / Show Boat: High tide of the American musical 77Further Reading 833 Reel Life: The Art of Motion Pictures 85Overview 86Genre Study / Horse sense: The logic of the western 102Document Study / The Searchers: Monumental western 111Further Reading 1164 Making Waves: Radio in American Life 119Overview 120Genre Study / Worlds away: Science fiction 134Document Study / The Mercury Theater on the Air: Worlds war 142Document Study / Buck Rogers: Finding time (in space) 149Further Reading 1535 Channels of Opportunity: The Arc of Television Broadcasting 155Overview 156Genre Study / Screened realities: Situation comedy 173Document Study / Seriously funny: I Love Lucy 181Further Reading 1876 Sound Investments: The Evolution of Sound Recording 190Overview 191Genre Study / Joyful blues: The rise and fall of rock and roll 213Document Study / ‘‘Beat It’’: The integration of Michael Jackson 224Document Study / Speak Now: The gently assertive voice of Taylor Swift 232Further Reading 2377 Weaving the Web: The Emergence of the Internet 240Overview 241Genre Study / Shared exchanges: Social media 260Document Study / Wikipedia: The wisdom of crowds 268Further Reading 274Index 277