University of Illinois Press, 2002 Cloth: 978-0-252-02805-2 | Paper: 978-0-252-07110-2 Library of Congress Classification PN4867.S5 2003 Dewey Decimal Classification 071.3
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In this systematic critique of the structural basis of U.S. media -- arguably the first one ever published -- Upton Sinclair writes that “American journalism is a class institution serving the rich and spurning the poor.” Likening journalists to prostitutes, the title of the book refers to a chit that was issued to patrons of urban brothels of the era.
Fueled by mounting disdain for newspapers run by business tycoons and conservative editors, Sinclair self-published The Brass Check in the years after The Jungle had made him a household name. Despite Sinclair’s claim that this was his most important book, it was dismissed by critics and shunned by reviewers. Yet it sold over 150,000 copies and enjoyed numerous printings.
A substantial introduction to this paperback edition by Robert W. McChesney and Ben Scott asserts the book’s importance as a cornerstone critique of commercial journalism and a priceless resource for understanding the political turbulence of the Progressive Era.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) was a Pulitzer prize-winning novelist and social reformer who exposed the horrors of the Chicago meat-packing industry in The Jungle and fervently advanced his socialist politics in such works as Metropolis, Oil! and Boston.Robert W. McChesney is a professor in the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious Times and the coauthor of Our Media, Not Theirs among other books. Ben Scott is a graduate student in communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction by Robert W. McChesney
and Ben Scott ............................................................................ ix
PART I
THE EVIDENCE
I. The Story of the Brass Check ................................................ 13
II. The Story of a Poet.................................................................... 17
III. Open Sesame! ............................................................................ 22
IV. The Real Fight .......................................................................... 27
V. The Condemned Meat Industry ........................................ 32
VI. An Adventure with Roosevelt ................................................... 39
VII. Jackals and a Carcase ........................................................ 45
VIII. The Last Act ............................................................................. 50
IX. Aiming at the Public's Heart ............................... ........ 55
X. A Voice from Russia .......................................................... 58
XI. A Venture in Co-operation................................................ 62
XII. The Village Horse-Doctor ............................... ........ 68
XIII. In High Society ......................................................................... 74
XIV. The Great Panic ....................................................... 80
XV. Shredded Wheat Biscuit ............................... ........ 86
XVI. An Interview on Marriage......................................................... 90
XVII. "Gaming" on the Sabbath.................................................. 97
XVIII. An Essential Monogamist......................................................... 102
XIX. In the Lion's Den ....................................................................... 110
XX. The Story of a Lynching ............................... ........ 114
XXI. Journalism and Burglary ........................................................... 121
XXII. A Millionaire and an Author ................................... . 125
XXIII. The "Heart Wife" ..................................................................... 130
XXIV. The Mourning Pickets............................142
XXV. The Case of the "A. P." ...................................................... 150
XXVI. A Governor and His Lie .................................................. 154
XXVII. The Associated Press at the Bar ........................................ 165
XXVIII. The Associated Press and Its Newspapers ................................. 169
XXIX. The Scandal-Bureau ................................................................. 176
XXX. The Concrete Wall ............................................................ 184
XXXI. Making Bomb-Makers ........................................191
XXXII. The Roof-Garden of the World ........................ ............. 197
XXXIII. A Fountain of Poison........................................202
XXXIV. The Daily Cat-and-Dog Fight ................................................ 213
PART II
THE EXPLANATION
XXXV. The Causes of Things ................................................................ 221
XXXVI. The Empire of Business........................................228
XXXVII. The Dregs of the Cup........................................237
XXXVIII. Owning the Press ...................................................................... 241
XXXIX. The War-Makers ....................................................................... 250
XL. Owning the Owners ................................................................. 258
XLI. The Owner in Politics........................................263
XLII. Owning the Associated Press ........................................ 271
XLIII. The Owner and His Advertisers ........................................ 282
XLIV. The Advertising Boycott .................................. ...... 289
XLV. The Advertising Ecstasy ............................................................ 295
XLVI. The Bribe Direct ....................................................................... 300
XLVII. The Bribe Wholesale ................................................................. 307
XLVIII. Poisonvy..................................................................................311
XLIX. The Elbert Hubbard Worm ........................................314
L. The Press and Public Welfare....................................................318
LI. The Press and the Radicals.......................................................323
LI. The Press and the Socialists........................................327
LIII. The Press and Sex......................................................................332
LIV. The Press and Crime.................................................................337
LV. The Press and Jack London ......................................................341
LVI. The Press and Labor..................................................................346
LVII. The Associated Press and Labor................................................353
LVIII. "Poisoned at the Source"........................................362
LIX. The Press and the War..............................................................377
LX. The Case of Russia....................................................................385
LXI. "Bolshevism" in America ........................................395
PART III
THE REMEDY
LXII. Cutting the Tiger's Claws..........................................................403
LXIII. The Mental Munition-Factory..................................................408
LXIV. The Problem of the Reporter....................................................415
LXV. The Press Set Free.....................................................................421
LXVI. A Frame-Up That Fell Down....................................................429
Conclusion ................................................................................436
Publisher's Note.........................................................................438
Index ..........................................................................................441
University of Illinois Press, 2002 Cloth: 978-0-252-02805-2 Paper: 978-0-252-07110-2
In this systematic critique of the structural basis of U.S. media -- arguably the first one ever published -- Upton Sinclair writes that “American journalism is a class institution serving the rich and spurning the poor.” Likening journalists to prostitutes, the title of the book refers to a chit that was issued to patrons of urban brothels of the era.
Fueled by mounting disdain for newspapers run by business tycoons and conservative editors, Sinclair self-published The Brass Check in the years after The Jungle had made him a household name. Despite Sinclair’s claim that this was his most important book, it was dismissed by critics and shunned by reviewers. Yet it sold over 150,000 copies and enjoyed numerous printings.
A substantial introduction to this paperback edition by Robert W. McChesney and Ben Scott asserts the book’s importance as a cornerstone critique of commercial journalism and a priceless resource for understanding the political turbulence of the Progressive Era.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) was a Pulitzer prize-winning novelist and social reformer who exposed the horrors of the Chicago meat-packing industry in The Jungle and fervently advanced his socialist politics in such works as Metropolis, Oil! and Boston.Robert W. McChesney is a professor in the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious Times and the coauthor of Our Media, Not Theirs among other books. Ben Scott is a graduate student in communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction by Robert W. McChesney
and Ben Scott ............................................................................ ix
PART I
THE EVIDENCE
I. The Story of the Brass Check ................................................ 13
II. The Story of a Poet.................................................................... 17
III. Open Sesame! ............................................................................ 22
IV. The Real Fight .......................................................................... 27
V. The Condemned Meat Industry ........................................ 32
VI. An Adventure with Roosevelt ................................................... 39
VII. Jackals and a Carcase ........................................................ 45
VIII. The Last Act ............................................................................. 50
IX. Aiming at the Public's Heart ............................... ........ 55
X. A Voice from Russia .......................................................... 58
XI. A Venture in Co-operation................................................ 62
XII. The Village Horse-Doctor ............................... ........ 68
XIII. In High Society ......................................................................... 74
XIV. The Great Panic ....................................................... 80
XV. Shredded Wheat Biscuit ............................... ........ 86
XVI. An Interview on Marriage......................................................... 90
XVII. "Gaming" on the Sabbath.................................................. 97
XVIII. An Essential Monogamist......................................................... 102
XIX. In the Lion's Den ....................................................................... 110
XX. The Story of a Lynching ............................... ........ 114
XXI. Journalism and Burglary ........................................................... 121
XXII. A Millionaire and an Author ................................... . 125
XXIII. The "Heart Wife" ..................................................................... 130
XXIV. The Mourning Pickets............................142
XXV. The Case of the "A. P." ...................................................... 150
XXVI. A Governor and His Lie .................................................. 154
XXVII. The Associated Press at the Bar ........................................ 165
XXVIII. The Associated Press and Its Newspapers ................................. 169
XXIX. The Scandal-Bureau ................................................................. 176
XXX. The Concrete Wall ............................................................ 184
XXXI. Making Bomb-Makers ........................................191
XXXII. The Roof-Garden of the World ........................ ............. 197
XXXIII. A Fountain of Poison........................................202
XXXIV. The Daily Cat-and-Dog Fight ................................................ 213
PART II
THE EXPLANATION
XXXV. The Causes of Things ................................................................ 221
XXXVI. The Empire of Business........................................228
XXXVII. The Dregs of the Cup........................................237
XXXVIII. Owning the Press ...................................................................... 241
XXXIX. The War-Makers ....................................................................... 250
XL. Owning the Owners ................................................................. 258
XLI. The Owner in Politics........................................263
XLII. Owning the Associated Press ........................................ 271
XLIII. The Owner and His Advertisers ........................................ 282
XLIV. The Advertising Boycott .................................. ...... 289
XLV. The Advertising Ecstasy ............................................................ 295
XLVI. The Bribe Direct ....................................................................... 300
XLVII. The Bribe Wholesale ................................................................. 307
XLVIII. Poisonvy..................................................................................311
XLIX. The Elbert Hubbard Worm ........................................314
L. The Press and Public Welfare....................................................318
LI. The Press and the Radicals.......................................................323
LI. The Press and the Socialists........................................327
LIII. The Press and Sex......................................................................332
LIV. The Press and Crime.................................................................337
LV. The Press and Jack London ......................................................341
LVI. The Press and Labor..................................................................346
LVII. The Associated Press and Labor................................................353
LVIII. "Poisoned at the Source"........................................362
LIX. The Press and the War..............................................................377
LX. The Case of Russia....................................................................385
LXI. "Bolshevism" in America ........................................395
PART III
THE REMEDY
LXII. Cutting the Tiger's Claws..........................................................403
LXIII. The Mental Munition-Factory..................................................408
LXIV. The Problem of the Reporter....................................................415
LXV. The Press Set Free.....................................................................421
LXVI. A Frame-Up That Fell Down....................................................429
Conclusion ................................................................................436
Publisher's Note.........................................................................438
Index ..........................................................................................441