Rough Draft of History
A Century of US Social Movements in the News
By Edwin Amenta and Neal Caren. Princeton University Press, 2022.
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A new view of twentieth-century US social movements, Rough Draft of History examines how national newspapers covered social movements and the organizations driving them. Edwin Amenta and Neal Caren identify hundreds of movement organizations, from the Women’s Christian Temperance Union to Occupy Wall Street, and document their treatment in the news. In doing so, the book provides an alternative account of US history from below, refracted through journalistic lenses.
Iconic organizations in the women’s rights, African American civil rights, and environmental movements gained substantial media attention. So too did now-forgotten groups such as the German-American Alliance, Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, and Peace and Freedom Party. The book shows why some organizations made big news while others did not, and why some were treated well while others were handled roughly.
The research team recovered forgotten stories, including that of the Townsend Plan, a Depression-era organization that helped establish Social Security. They also reveal that the media handled the civil rights movement far more harshly than popular histories recount, and detail the difficulties movements face in today’s media landscape. The project offers insights for those seeking social and political change and for those trying to make sense of it.