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Woodrow Wilson and the Press

Prelude to the Presidency

  • Book
  • © 2004

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Authors:
  1. James D. Startt
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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
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  2. Early Encounters with Journalism

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 1-17

  3. The President of Princeton and the Press, 1902–10

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 19-39

  4. Advent of a Public Statesman, 1906–10

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 41-65

  5. Wilson’s Gubernatorial Campaign and the Press

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 67-91

  6. Governor Wilson and the Press, 1910–11

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 93-115

  7. The Wilson Presidential Movement: Publicity and Opposition

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 117-141

  8. The Press and Wilson’s Preconvention Campaign

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 143-174

  9. Wilson and the Press at the Democratic Convention and Afterward

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 175-195

  10. Wilson’s Election Campaign of 1912 and the Press

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 197-228

  11. On the Threshold of the White House

    • James D. Startt
    Pages 229-244

  12. Back Matter

    Pages 245-315
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About this book

Esteemed journalism historian James Startt has crafted an intriguing case study of the relationship between political leadership and the mass media during its early days, using the political ascendancy of Woodrow Wilson as its focus. Wilson's emergence as a major political figure coincided with the arrival of a real mass media and a more independent, less partisan style of political coverage. While most Nineteenth-century presidents remained aloof from the press, Wilson understood it could no longer be ignored: 'The public man who fights the daily press won't be a public man very long'.

Reviews

"Featuring impeccable research and lucid analysis, Woodrow Wilson and the Press offers the first in-depth examination of this important aspect of Wilson's career." - George Juergens, Professor Emeritus, Indiana University

"This meticulously documented work sets the foundation for understanding today's political communication. It expands our knowledge of Woodrow Wilson and his era and opens the door to greater appreciation of the interrelationship between political and journalistic history. In studying Wilson's campaign press relations, we find the antecedents for contemporary political leadership, which attempts to shape public opinion through use of the mass media. James Startt's book offers a new perspective on the foundation for the modern Presidency. It should be of interest to historians and journalists alike."

- Maurine H. Beasley, Professor of Journalism, Univ. of Maryland, College Park

James D. Startt offers an excellent study of public opinion and political leadership. Focusing on Woodrow Wilson's relations with the press prior to his presidency, this book clearly demonstrates the future president's savvy understanding of the media in American democracy. His 1912 campaign, first to win the Democratic Party's nomination, and then to defeat the Republican president William Howard Taft and the Progressive candidate Theodore Roosevelt, would not have been possible otherwise. Anyone interested in President Wilson or in the connection between public opinion and political leadership in American democratic government will find Woodrow Wilson and the Press essential reading. Known for his previous books on communications and journalism, Startt brings that expertise to this outstanding new book on Woodrow Wilson, public opinion, and democratic government at the beginning of the 20th century. - Lloyd E. Ambrosius, Professor of History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

About the author

JAMES D. STARTT is Senior Research Professor in History at Valparaiso University, Indiana, USA. He is co-editor of The Media in American History and is co-author of Historical Methods in Mass Communication. He served as president of the American Journalism Historians Association in 1997-98.

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