Writing Journalism History: The Press and Academia in Brazil (Routledge Studies in the History of the Americas)

By: Otávio Daros

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Synopsis: This book examines the trajectory of the historical knowledge about journalism produced by its scholars in Brazil, from the early accounts originating from the Brazilian Historical and Geographic Institute in the 19th century to the specialized academic field at the turn of the 21st century.The history of journalism historiography shows that during the Empire and the Old Republic, the press was idealized as a means of education and a form of mirror of events. After the New State, there was a tendency to view it as an instrument for manipulating public opinion and a suspicious documentary source in the eyes of historians. Finally, with the end of the Military Regime, and with the emergence of the area of communication studies, it came to be analyzed as an element of mediation of public debate and a space for sociability. Regarding this last phase, Daros argues that despite aspirations to subordinate journalism history to communication history, the field still lacks more significant historiographical undertakings beyond print media.This volume is aimed at scholars of journalism studies and media history, the historiography of the press and journalism, the history of historiography, and Brazilian historiography.