A nation's collective memory does not simply exist. It is created. But what factors influence its form and content? And what roles do the news media play in fashioning our collective memory? Here Jill A. Edy observes the process of negotiating a meaning for the past as it unfolds in the news, exploring the ways that news practices, the relationships between actors who make the news, the expectations of news audiences, and the impact of current events affect the development of collective memories in a mass society.Using the 1965 Watts riots and the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago as case studies, Edy creates a useful framework for understanding how, over time, conflicting versions of events are resolved, what forms the resolutions take, and how those resolutions influence the representation of current news stories. Anyone who is interested in political communication and the role of media in public culture will find a wealth of insights in this valuable new book.

Jill A. Edy is Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Oklahoma.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Real Time News: Covering the Watts Riots and the Chicago Convention
Chapter 3: Political Officials and the Public Past
Chapter 4: Defusing Controversy and Paving the Way for Collective Memory
Chapter 5: Building Collective Memory: Story Integration
Chapter 6: Using Collective Memory: The Role of the Past in the Present
Chapter 7: Conclusions: The Future of the Past
References