Beth Garfrerick, Ph.D., APR, is a professor at the University of North Alabama. She earned doctoral, master’s and undergraduate degrees from the University of Alabama, has 20 years of experience in print journalism and public relations, and has received teaching/practitioner awards from several professional associations.

Beth Garfrerick has given us an important, seminal work. Most historians have ignored community newspapers. Prof. Garfrerick shows that they played vital roles in the lives of their readers. Her book is a major contribution to the study of journalism history.David SloanFounder, American Journalism Historians Association

• Abstract – Acknowledgments – Introduction – The Early 1900s: Consistency in Content, Appearance, and Style – The 1910s: Propaganda, Publicity, Paper and Postal Rates, and Patriotism – The 1920s: New Competition, Influence, and Commercial Success – The 1930s: Boosterism and Business Survival – The 1940s: Patriotism, Production, Professionalism, and the Postwar Period – The 1950s: Becoming Localized in News, Centralized in Operations – The 1960s: A Time to Rethink, Redefine, Recruit, and Regionalize – The 1970s: Careers, Content, Consumers, Consolidations, and Computerization – The 1980s: Technology vs. Technique; Corporate-owned vs. Community-owned; and Economics vs. Enterprise – The 1990s: Localism in Ownership and Content; the Wal-Mart Factor; Weekly/ Worker Competition; and a 24-Hour News Cycle – A Century of Changes and Challenges: Community Weeklies Come Full Circle –Index.

Beth Garfrerick, Ph.D., APR, is a professor at the University of North Alabama. She earned doctoral, master’s and undergraduate degrees from the University of Alabama, has 20 years of experience in print journalism and public relations, and has received teaching/practitioner awards from several professional associations.

Beth Garfrerick has given us an important, seminal work. Most historians have ignored community newspapers. Prof. Garfrerick shows that they played vital roles in the lives of their readers. Her book is a major contribution to the study of journalism history.David SloanFounder, American Journalism Historians Association

• Abstract – Acknowledgments – Introduction – The Early 1900s: Consistency in Content, Appearance, and Style – The 1910s: Propaganda, Publicity, Paper and Postal Rates, and Patriotism – The 1920s: New Competition, Influence, and Commercial Success – The 1930s: Boosterism and Business Survival – The 1940s: Patriotism, Production, Professionalism, and the Postwar Period – The 1950s: Becoming Localized in News, Centralized in Operations – The 1960s: A Time to Rethink, Redefine, Recruit, and Regionalize – The 1970s: Careers, Content, Consumers, Consolidations, and Computerization – The 1980s: Technology vs. Technique; Corporate-owned vs. Community-owned; and Economics vs. Enterprise – The 1990s: Localism in Ownership and Content; the Wal-Mart Factor; Weekly/ Worker Competition; and a 24-Hour News Cycle – A Century of Changes and Challenges: Community Weeklies Come Full Circle –Index.

Beth Garfrerick, Ph.D., APR, is a professor at the University of North Alabama. She earned doctoral, master’s and undergraduate degrees from the University of Alabama, has 20 years of experience in print journalism and public relations, and has received teaching/practitioner awards from several professional associations.

Beth Garfrerick has given us an important, seminal work. Most historians have ignored community newspapers. Prof. Garfrerick shows that they played vital roles in the lives of their readers. Her book is a major contribution to the study of journalism history.David SloanFounder, American Journalism Historians Association

• Abstract – Acknowledgments – Introduction – The Early 1900s: Consistency in Content, Appearance, and Style – The 1910s: Propaganda, Publicity, Paper and Postal Rates, and Patriotism – The 1920s: New Competition, Influence, and Commercial Success – The 1930s: Boosterism and Business Survival – The 1940s: Patriotism, Production, Professionalism, and the Postwar Period – The 1950s: Becoming Localized in News, Centralized in Operations – The 1960s: A Time to Rethink, Redefine, Recruit, and Regionalize – The 1970s: Careers, Content, Consumers, Consolidations, and Computerization – The 1980s: Technology vs. Technique; Corporate-owned vs. Community-owned; and Economics vs. Enterprise – The 1990s: Localism in Ownership and Content; the Wal-Mart Factor; Weekly/ Worker Competition; and a 24-Hour News Cycle – A Century of Changes and Challenges: Community Weeklies Come Full Circle –Index.