Part 1 sets the man in his time: the late 1960s
and civil upheaval in America. MacLean's emphatically
maintained that journalists must be aware of, and
responsive to, societal problems and concerns. In these
seven chapters we are given a sense of MacLean's
urgency: reform, experimentation, growth, learning and
life.
Part 2 turns to the underlying
theory characterizing MacLean's approach to
communication. Readers will find some familiar ideas,
such as the journalist as gatekeeper; the Westley-MacLean
model that MacLean introduced early in his career and
that has become a standard in the communication
literature; and several new ideas, including a
redefinition of subjective journalism and a look at the
newspaper editor as a "gateopener."
Part 3 raises important issues
about research. The articles range from an amusing
fictional dialogue between a researcher and a potential
funding agent, to a discussion of editing games
(including one with the Star Report) that can be used
for teaching journalism. The part ends with a study of
how O-methodology, advocated by MacLean, can be applied
to other areas of communication studies such as
advertising. |
Part 4 turns to journalism
education. MacLean's unique contribution was the
simulation laboratory -- not a computer
simulation of the so-called real world, but an
experimental lab in which students designed and
developed their own products, and then "sold"
them to their colleagues and faculty at the end
of the semester. The articles show the gradual
development of the laboratory concept, its
successes, and the problems it faced with the
Iowa press, as well as with faculty, alums, and
evaluation teams.
Part 5 is on the
implications of MacLean's ideas. It begins with
a stirring article by MacLean about the role of
communicator in times of peace and of war. The
other articles, by persons actively involved in
communication arts and journalism today, are
about implementing MacLean's ideas in a small
university, meeting the needs of the changing
ethnic populations in America in the
twenty-first century. Also included is an
imaginary dialogue, "Tuesdays with Malcolm,"
about how education and learning really take
place. |
