100 Media Moments That Changed America
The influence of mass media on individuals and world events is not new, but it is growing as the variety of media and accessibility to more and more media formats increase. Author Willis identifies 100 media events in America’s past that produced the biggest ripple effects in U.S. culture and history. Some changed society, and some greatly influenced the development of media itself.   The book begins with a time line of media events, some of which get their own sections later in the text. A chronological arrangement has the 100 events grouped into four eras, starting with “The New Nation, 1690–1799.” Number one is the first American newspaper. Among others are the first presidential press conference, Edward R. Murrow’s reports from London during WWII, the OJ Simpson trial, and the founding of Facebook. A final section includes 10 also-ran events that the author could not leave out, increasing the list to 110. Occasional sidebars expand on or provide stories related to the media moments. Each entry is two to three pages long and as such can only provide a very basic introduction. However, the entries can spark a reader’s interest in doing more research, and a selected bibliography provides some guidance for further study.   This is different from other titles on mass media published in the past and would provide an excellent introduction for students. Most high schools include mass-media courses, and this book would be a useful addition to their libraries as well as being suitable for public and academic libraries. Also available as an e-book. --Elaine Lindstrom