From the American Journalism Historians Association’s press release:
Seton Hall’s Pressman named 2020 AJHA Rising Scholar
The editors of American Journalism, the peer-reviewed quarterly journal of the American Journalism Historians Association, have announced Matthew Pressman of Seton Hall University’s College of Communication and the Arts as the winner of the 2020 Rising Scholar Award.
Pressman received this honor and $2,000 award in recognition of his ongoing research titled “A History of the New York Daily News and its Populist Politics.”
“I’m greatly honored to receive the 2020 Rising Scholar Award from the AJHA,” Pressman said. “Funding from this award will allow me to chase down the scattered archival collections that shed light on the history of the New York Daily News. That archival research will be the foundation of my next book, a history of the Daily News—the highest-circulation newspaper in U.S. history and one whose influence has been underappreciated.”
Pressman also expressed thanks to the “supportive scholars” who make up the AJHA. He described the organization as “one of the best parts of being a journalism historian.”
Pressman’s research will examine not only the impact of the Daily News on journalism history but will also address how the paper influenced American politics and culture.
Vanessa Murphree, associate editor of American Journalism and professor at The University of Southern Mississippi, said, “Dr. Pressman has developed an important and timely research agenda that helps us better understand the broad-based impact of the Daily News. The research is especially significant because it will help us better understand the origins of the ‘New Right’ in the mid-20th century and how this movement has influenced today’s political landscape.”
The Rising Scholar Award winner is chosen annually by the editors of American Journalism. The award is designed for scholars who show promise in extending their research agendas.
Founded in 1981, the American Journalism Historians Association seeks to advance education and research in mass communication history. Members work to raise historical standards and ensure that all scholars and students recognize the vast importance of media history and apply this knowledge to the advancement of society.
For more information on AJHA, visit http://www.ajhaonline.org.