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U.S. Television News and Cold War Propaganda, 1947-1960. By Nancy E. Bernhard. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999. xx, 245 pp. $59.95, ISBN 0-521-59415-4.)
This book is another interesting addition to the historical intersection of Cold War studies and media studies. Centered on domestic American television programming during the first fifteen or so years of the Cold War, the work has many strengths and a few minor weaknesses and is of value.
The weaknesses are in the opening two chapters, devoted to broadcasting and government information policy immediately after World War II and to the advent of television news. I mainly agree with Nancy E. Bernhard's analysis here, although in the case of shortwave radio and the eventual formalization of Voice of America (von), the broadcasters were relieved to get out of...