Walter Lippmann

Jansen (sociology, U. Buffalo SUNY) reexamines the work of Lippmann, a much-maligned theorist in the realm of media and communication, especially as contrasting with the work of highly-praised Dewey. The author posits that due to the politics of knowledge and the current structure of the market-based knowledge economy, Lippmann's reputation has been allowed to decline unjustly though his book, Public Opinion, profoundly impacted American media studies and set him as a founder of the field. Jansen also pays careful attention to the impact of contemporary intellectual, biographical, and social contexts on Lippman's work. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Sue Curry Jansen holds a PhD in sociology from the University at Buffalo (SUNY). She is Professor of Media and Communication at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. She is the author of Censorship: The Knot that Binds Power and Knowledge (1991); Critical Communication Theory: Power, Media, Gender, and Technology (2002); and co-editor, with Jefferson Pooley and Lora Taub-Pervizpour, of Media and Social Justice (2011).