Walter Brasch
Encyclopedia
Walter M. Brasch Ph.D., is an American social issues journalist and university professor of journalism. He is the author of a weekly syndicated newspaper column and the author of 17 books. He is an award winning former newspaper editor in California, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio.
"My syndicated newspaper column is often humor/satire, but with the cutting edge of truth. I am a social activist, and my writing reflects that. It is unfortunate there aren't more of us, or that the publishing industry prefers other kinds of writing. It is also unfortunate that the media of journalism have succumbed to a corporate mentality that has placed the quest for high profits, higher than in almost every other industry, combined with layoffs and the desire to break down unions, above methodical and systematic discussions of the greater social issues in our country.
"The writing I do isn't usually what the 'Corporate Suits' ask for; I do not allow myself to be subjected to the whims of a large chunk of the industry who can pass judgment on what should be published solely on marketability but have never written anything other than business letters or reports. Thus I tend to be people-and issue-driven rather than market-driven. Equally importantly, I do not write the kind of 'academic' works that pass as scholarship yet are usually minuscule looks at unimportant things that only impress other 'scholars' who tend to judge people by how many pieces of data they can stuff into a set of statistical analyses. My writings, I hope, tend to be more universal, focusing upon the greater social issues."
, is an ardent animal rights activist, and active in numerous social justice issues. (personal interview with author) Among other organizations he is active in the Leonard Peltier
Defense Fund and the preservation of wild horses and burros. He was editor in chief of Spectrum Magazine, a publication produced by journalism students at Bloomsburg University and which has won several major national awards. (personal interview with author) He was the president of the Pennsylvania Press Club, president of the Keystone State professional chapter, and deputy regional director of the Society of Professional Journalists, from which he received the Director's Award and the National Freedom of Information Award. He is the founding coordinator of Pennsylvania Journalism Educators. He is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Author's Guild, National Writers Union
(UAW/AFL-CIO), and The Newspaper Guild (CWA/AFL-CIO). He is listed in: Who's Who in America, Contemporary Authors, and Who's Who in the Media. He is the executive vice-president, Scripts Destitute.
, and a Ph.D. in mass communication and journalism, with a cognate area in language and culture studies, from Ohio University
.
He is not only a co-recipient of the Civil Liberties Award of the American Civil Liberties Union in 1996, but was also honored by San Diego State University as a Points of Excellence winner in 1997. At Bloomsburg University, he earned the Creative Arts Award, was the first recipient of the Creative Teaching Award, and the first to receive a second award.He was named an Outstanding Student Advisor. He was the first recipient of the Dean's Award of Excellence at Bloomsburg University. For the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, he was a Commonwealth Speaker. In 2004 he was the faculty recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award.
He is co-author of Social Foundations of the Mass Media (2001) and The Press and the State (1986), and was awarded Outstanding Academic Book distinction by Choice magazine
, published by the American Library Association
.
Philosophy of writing
Dr. Brasch told Contemporary Authors: "I'm a journalist, a writer who looks at society and tries to understand, then analyze and explain its many complex parts as they relate to each other to help people better understand their own lives and what's both necessary and important to their lives. My writings--both academic and journalistic--can't be pigeonholed; the writings are about people; the process is journalism. I write about what I'm interested in, going from topic to topic, and issue to issue, as my needs and interests change."My syndicated newspaper column is often humor/satire, but with the cutting edge of truth. I am a social activist, and my writing reflects that. It is unfortunate there aren't more of us, or that the publishing industry prefers other kinds of writing. It is also unfortunate that the media of journalism have succumbed to a corporate mentality that has placed the quest for high profits, higher than in almost every other industry, combined with layoffs and the desire to break down unions, above methodical and systematic discussions of the greater social issues in our country.
"The writing I do isn't usually what the 'Corporate Suits' ask for; I do not allow myself to be subjected to the whims of a large chunk of the industry who can pass judgment on what should be published solely on marketability but have never written anything other than business letters or reports. Thus I tend to be people-and issue-driven rather than market-driven. Equally importantly, I do not write the kind of 'academic' works that pass as scholarship yet are usually minuscule looks at unimportant things that only impress other 'scholars' who tend to judge people by how many pieces of data they can stuff into a set of statistical analyses. My writings, I hope, tend to be more universal, focusing upon the greater social issues."
Involvement
He was active in emergency management, and was a governor-appointee on the Local Emergency Planning Committee. He was involved in the farm workers strike of the early and mid 1960s, in anti-war protests during the Vietnam and both Gulf warsIraq war (disambiguation)
The Iraq War is a military campaign by a multinational force led by troops from the United States and the United Kingdom.Iraq War may also refer to:*Mesopotamian campaign *Anglo-Iraqi War *Iran–Iraq War *Gulf War...
, is an ardent animal rights activist, and active in numerous social justice issues. (personal interview with author) Among other organizations he is active in the Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier is a Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement . In 1977 he was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment for first degree murder in the shooting of two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents during a 1975 conflict on the Pine...
Defense Fund and the preservation of wild horses and burros. He was editor in chief of Spectrum Magazine, a publication produced by journalism students at Bloomsburg University and which has won several major national awards. (personal interview with author) He was the president of the Pennsylvania Press Club, president of the Keystone State professional chapter, and deputy regional director of the Society of Professional Journalists, from which he received the Director's Award and the National Freedom of Information Award. He is the founding coordinator of Pennsylvania Journalism Educators. He is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Author's Guild, National Writers Union
National Writers Union
National Writers Union , founded on November 19, 1981, is the trade union in the United States for freelance and contract writers: journalists, book and short fiction authors, business and technical writers, web content providers, and poets...
(UAW/AFL-CIO), and The Newspaper Guild (CWA/AFL-CIO). He is listed in: Who's Who in America, Contemporary Authors, and Who's Who in the Media. He is the executive vice-president, Scripts Destitute.
Degrees
Dr. Brasch earned an A.B. in sociology from San Diego State College, an M.A. in journalism from Ball State UniversityBall State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
, and a Ph.D. in mass communication and journalism, with a cognate area in language and culture studies, from Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
.
Awards
During the past two decades he has won more than 100 national and regional awards from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Society of Professional Journalists, National Federation of Press Women, Pennsylvania Press Club, Pennsylvania Women's Press Association, Pennwriters, International Association of Business Communicators, Pacific Coast Press Club, and Press Club of Southern California.He is not only a co-recipient of the Civil Liberties Award of the American Civil Liberties Union in 1996, but was also honored by San Diego State University as a Points of Excellence winner in 1997. At Bloomsburg University, he earned the Creative Arts Award, was the first recipient of the Creative Teaching Award, and the first to receive a second award.He was named an Outstanding Student Advisor. He was the first recipient of the Dean's Award of Excellence at Bloomsburg University. For the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, he was a Commonwealth Speaker. In 2004 he was the faculty recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award.
Published works
His books mostly focus upon the fusion of historical and contemporary social issues. These books include:- Before The First Snow: Stories From The Revolution (2011)
- Sinking the Ship of State: The Presidency of George W. Bush (2008)
- America's Unpatriotic Acts: The Federal Government's Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights (2005)
- Unacceptable: The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina (2006)
- Sex and the Single Beer Can: Probing the Media and American Culture (2004, 2009)
- The Joy of Sax: America During the Bill Clinton Era (2001)
- Brer Rabbit, Uncle Remus, and the 'Cornfield Journalist': The Tale of Joel Chandler Harris (2000)
- Cartoon Monickers; An Insight into the Animation Industry (2000)
- Betrayed: The Death of an American Newspaper (1996)
- Forerunners of Revolution: Muckrakers and the American Social Conscience (1991)
- With Just Cause: The Unionization of the American Journalist (1991)
- ZIM: The Autobiography of Eugene Zimmerman (1988)
- Columbia County Place Names (1982)
- Black English and the Mass Media (1981)
- A Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of American Black English (1974)
- Enquiring Minds and Space Aliens: Wandering Through the Mass Media and Popular Culture
He is co-author of Social Foundations of the Mass Media (2001) and The Press and the State (1986), and was awarded Outstanding Academic Book distinction by Choice magazine
Choice magazine
CHOICE Magazine is a publication of the Australian Consumers' Association, a non-profit organisation founded in 1959 to research and advocate on behalf of Australian consumers. The organisation trades as CHOICE and is similar to Consumer Reports in the United States...
, published by the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
.
Other media
He is author of several dozens of magazine articles, and 50 multimedia productions.External links
- http://www.walterbrasch.com
- http://www.facebook.com/walterbrasch
- http://www.walterbrasch.blogspot.com
- http://www.greeleyandstone.com