Environment and Communication
-
Rachel Carson: Pen Against Poison
Rachel Carson was a quiet woman who stirred extraordinary controversy that persists decades after her death. Her 1962 book Silent Spring brought worldwide attention to the harm to human health and the environment wrought by mishandling of a powerful pesticide, fomenting the environmental movement. In the 100th anniversary year of Carson's birth, this publication examines how occasionally in history a book with a powerful idea can bring about peaceful but dramatic change in a democratic society. (March 2007)
-
About America: Edward R. Murrow, Journalism at Its Best
The career of Edward R. Murrow, the eminent broadcast journalist, is discussed in this publication as an example of the essential role the free press plays in a democratic society. With his reports from London during World War II and his expos� of Senator McCarthy's anti-Communist campaign in the 1950s, Murrow showed how a fearless reporter can use journalistic skills in the public's service in times of crisis. The publication also highlights Murrow's creativity in developing reporting formats for the new media of his day first radio, then TV. Audio of Murrow's broadcasts and a photo gallery are also included. (April 2006)
-
Biodiversity Series
These five publications discuss the systemic crisis facing living things on earth at the beginning of the 21st century. The numbers of both plant and animal species in diverse ecosystems are declining due to the impact of increased human population and the transport of pollutants to all regions of the globe. The essays in the series argue that these developments constitute a global crisis, a cataclysmic loss of diverse living genomes that cannot be re-created. Biodiversity on a Changing Planet: The Health of Earth's Ecosystems contains two essays by experts, "Why Biodiversity Matters" by Niles Eldredge of the American Museum of Natural History, and "Appreciating the Benefits of Plant Biodiversity" by John Tuxill of the Worldwatch Institute. Four short essays focus on specific ecosystems. They are Wetlands: Cradle of Species Diversity; Forests: Our Planet's Endangered Edens; Northlands: The World's Fragile Ecosystem; and Coral Reefs: Fertile Gardens of the Sea. (April 2001)
-
Handbook of Independent Journalism
This handbook covers the ins and outs of what every professional journalist should know from how to research, write, and edit a story to how to write headlines, choose graphics, and select quotes and sound bites. Print, radio, TV, and Web-based or online journalism forms are discussed in detail, as well as the skills required in beat reporting. One chapter focuses on ethical principles, codes, community standards, and internationally endorsed journalism norms. The "Journalism Resources" section lists membership groups, resource sites for reporting and editing, and sample ethics codes. The author, Deborah Potter, is the director of NewsLab in Washington, D.C., and a former network correspondent for CBS News and CNN. (July 2006)
-
Issue in Focus: Desertification
Discusses a major ecological issue that has worldwide consequences: the creeping impoverishment and marginalization of once-fertile land due to natural weather cycles, population increases, overcultivation, or even poorly planned irrigation. This publication defines the international scope of desertification, discusses its appearance in the American Midwest of the 1930s and the remedies applied, pinpoints early warning signs, and details how it is profoundly affected by land management and water distribution. Finally, the book describes how constructive practices can lead to reversal of this grave ecological problem. (September 2004)
-
A Responsible Press Office: An Insiders Guide
A how-to publication for government leaders and public information officials who want to create an effective mechanism of communication between the media and the government. This handbook offers practical advice based on the significant professional experience of author Marguerite Hoxie Sullivan and other top-level U.S. government spokespersons. The book's 12 chapters cover, among other things, the roles and characteristics of a press spokesperson, the day-to-day activities of a press office, how to mount a media campaign, the tools available to a press office, how to ensure that the government's message is communicated effectively to the people, how to handle unexpected events that require a quick response, and how to conduct media events. (September 2001)
-
An Unfettered Press
The media in America...constitutional protections, right-to-know laws, editing and managing newspapers, radio and television broadcasting, electronic newspapers, and libel law. (April 2001, originally published in 1994)
PDF files can be viewed with Adobe Reader. If you don't have Adobe Reader, you may download the latest version.