John Nerone 
The Media and Public Life 
A History

Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2015

In this lucid and intelligent guide, John Nerone traces the history
of the media in public life. His unconventional account
decenters professional journalism from its central role in
providing information to the people and reconceives it as part of a
broader set of media practices that work together to represent the
public. The result is a sensitive study of the relationship between
media and society that sheds light on the past, present and future
of news and public life.



The book demonstrates clearly that the media have always been
deeply embedded in social, economic, and political institutions and
structures. Large transformations and historical shifts are brought
to life in the book through closer study of key moments of
change such as the rise of liberal political institutions, the
market revolution, the industrial revolution, bureaucratization and
professionalization, globalization, and the ongoing digital
revolution. By integrating theoretical concepts with detailed and
vivid historical examples, Nerone shows how print and news media
became entangled with public institutions.



The Media and Public Life brings new light on the ways in
which people have understood the meaning of a free and democratic
media system. It is essential reading for all students and scholars
of media, history and society.

Table of Content

*Contents

*Introduction

*1 The printer’s newspaper and the national public
sphere

*2 The editor’s newspaper and the partisan public
sphere

*3 The commercial public sphere

*4 The industrial media and the culture industries

*5 Institutionalization, the professional media and the
expert public sphere

*6 The late modern press, the digital media, and the network
public

*Conclusion: Coming to judgment on public intelligence

*References

*Index

About the author

John Nerone is Professor Emeritus of Communication at the University of Illinois.