Description
Book SynopsisIn a recent book, Following 9/11: Religion Coverage in the New York Times, Christopher Vecsey examines journalistic definitions of religion, before and (especially) after the terrible events of September 11, 2001. Here he explores Times portrayals of the cumulative religious tradition called Judaism, embodied by peoples who have called themselves Jewsfrom antiquity to modernity, throughout the world, and especially in the United States, where a plurality of Jews live today and where the Times is published. To understand Judaism today is to fathom its diverse texts, beliefs, rituals, ethics, and institutions, the contemporary concerns of Jews, and the relationships not only among Jews, but also between Jews and gentiles, and the continuing impact of anti-Semitism upon Jewish life. Since the 1940s, Jews and Judaism have been profoundly affected by the horrific course of the Holocaust, and by the formation of Israel as a Jewish nation-state. These have been the major themes in the Times''
Trade ReviewFor over a century, the New York Times has been America’s primary source of reliable information. In this volume Christopher Vecsey explores its coverage of Jews and Jewish issues over a thirty year span, from 1970 through to 2000. Vecsey himself has a connection to the newspaper: his brother George serving as one of its sports reporters for many years. . . .Certainly the inherently useful compilation of data in the coverage of Jewish topics and personalities in the news is deserving of praise. * Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews *
While The New York Times itself has been subject to a number of book-length and monograph studies, both academic and not, this is a rare book-length account of the paper’s Jewish aspects. The author, a theology professor at Colgate University, New York, is at his best in discussing the religious dimensions of his topic…. The author succeeds in presenting a coherent picture drawing upon the mass of articles and…. skillfully weaves together an interesting contemporary mosaic of Jews and Judaism in general and in the U.S. in particular as expressed through the newspaper’s pages. * Communication Research Trends *
Christoper Vecsey, erudite in matters of journalism, Judaism and Jews, is a brilliant analyst of how the New York Times, in representing the wide range of Jewish experience, has played a powerful role in constructing and transmitting it. An exhilarating read, from start to finish. -- Vanessa Ochs, University of Virginia
“Because of its founding by Adolph Ochs, a Jew from Chattanooga, and the presence of numerous Jews on staff as reporters since World War II, the New York Times has been accused by some of its critics as presenting a much too favorable and skewed look at Judaism and Israel. In his balanced study of the inner workings of this world class newspaper, Christopher Vecsey shows that the New York Times initially avoided coverage of Jewish subjects, was slow to cover the Holocaust, did not support the establishment of Israel immediately after World War II, and limited bylines for reporters of Jewish faith until the 1950s. He is especially effective in analyzing how the New York Times covered Black-Jewish relations since the 1960s, and more recently, how divisions within the Jewish community were portrayed. In his beautifully written work, Vecsey is especially effective in his treatment of legendary newsmen A. M. Rosenthal and Max Frankel as well as Ari Goldman, Thomas Friedman and others, carefully analyzing how their Judaism affected their writings.” -- Laurence M. Hauptman, The State University of New York
Table of ContentsTable of Contents Prologue I. The Jewish Question II. Jews and Judaism III. Jewish Diaspora IV. The Structures of American Judaism V. Jewish Institutions VI. Contemporary Jewish Concerns VII. The Legacy of the Holocaust VIII. Despisers and Defenders IX. Relations with Others X. Israel and Zionism Epilogue: Following 9/11 References
