Hard News, Heartfelt Opinions: A History of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Through the story of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Scott M. Bushnell presents the political history of Fort Wayne, Allen County, and Indiana's northeastern region. With an informal tone and the snappy style of a seasoned journalist, Bushnell explores just how integrally newspapers were linked to, and even shaped, political events. Founded in 1863, the FWJG quickly demonstrated that it would take bold stands on volatile political issues of the day by endorsing Lincoln's appeal for more troops. The bickering that occurred daily between the liberal FWJG and its right-wing competitor, the News-Sentinel, during the 1930s and 1940s reflected the divided sentiments of the nation concerning such issues as the New Deal, Hoosier Wendell Wilkie's bid for the presidency, and Lindbergh's "America First" campaign. Over the years, the newspaper plunged into the fray on the influence of the Ku Klux Klan, the rise of Nazism, the Vietnam War, and abortion.