"This volume advances current scholarship by providing one of the most comprehensive inquiries into the historical, political, and cultural impacts of the Irish American press. It would certainly be a welcome addition to academic bookshelves, and any of its chapters would enhance the syllabi of journalism history courses."—American Journalism
"This book is more than the sum of its (often excellent) parts; it is an argument (sometimes explicit, but usually implicit) for transnational journalism history, demonstrating the transnational character of journalism even in the 1700s."—Journalism History
"The wide range and scope of subjects covered provides readers with a diverse and nuanced view of the role of the press in shaping the Irish American experience."—Ely Janis, author of A Greater Ireland: The Land League and Transatlantic Nationalism in Gilded Age America
"This book demonstrates the significance of the global Irish by arguing for their contribution in universalizing the experience of a people seeking freedom and justice against a colonial oppressor world-wide."—Eileen McMahon, professor of history, Lewis University
"The book highlights both notable individuals and significant publications, and it illuminates the role of Irish-American journalists in some of the key tests of press freedom in the early years of the United States."—Kevin Grieves, Whitworth University
"A lively, fascinating volume."—Irish Literary Supplement
Description
From the Revolutionary War forward, Irish immigrants have contributed significantly to the construction of the American Republic. Scholars have documented their experiences and explored their social, political, and cultural lives in countless books. Offering a fresh perspective, this volume traces the rich history of the Irish American diaspora press, uncovering the ways in which a lively print culture forged significant cultural, political, and even economic bonds between the Irish living in America and the Irish living in Ireland.
As the only mass medium prior to the advent of radio, newspapers served to foster a sense of identity and a means of acculturation for those seeking to establish themselves in the land of opportunity. Irish American newspapers provided information about what was happening back home in Ireland as well as news about the events that were occurring within the local migrant community. They framed national events through Irish American eyes and explained the significance of what was happening to newly arrived immigrants who were unfamiliar with American history or culture. They also played a central role in the social life of Irish migrants and provided the comfort that came from knowing that, though they may have been far from home, they were not alone.
Taking a long view through the prism of individual newspapers, editors, and journalists, the authors in this volume examine the emergence of the Irish American diaspora press and its profound contribution to the lives of Irish Americans over the course of the last two centuries.
About the Author
Debra Reddin van Tuyll is a professor of communications at Augusta University. She is the 2019 recipient of the American Journalism Historians Association Kobre Award for lifetime achievement in journalism history.
Mark O’Brien is associate professor at the school of communications, Dublin City University where he teaches media and journalism history and chairs the university’s Media History Collection Advisory Board.
Marcel Broersma is professor of media and journalism studies at the University of Groningen and the director of its Centre for Media and Journalism Studies.
Related Interest
February 2021
