Step 7 - Full, Revised, Polished Source Evaluation Approach Steps 6 and 7 as a source evaluation to be accomplished in the spirit of an annotated bibliography. Unlike an annotated bibliography, the

7

Source Evaluation in Annotated Bibliographic Form

Step 7 - Full, Revised, and Polished Annotated Bibliography

Topic: The Radio

Student’s Name

University of Maryland Global Campus

HIST 125: Technological Transformations

Professor’s Name

Date

References

Bartlett, Kenneth G. “Social Impact of the Radio.” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 250 (1947): 89–97. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1024653.

The article “Social Impact of the Radio,” published in 1947, gives an interesting point of view on the American radio landscape after World War II. The author, Kenneth G. Bartlett, was an expert on the subject as a professor of radio and television at Syracuse University. He also wrote “How to Use Radio” (1939) and “Occupations in Radio” (1940). The above-captioned article was published in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, a peer-reviewed journal that started in 1889 and still runs today.

The author argues that the radio is an increasingly prevalent communication tool instead of a mere entertainment outlet. As such, it has a duty to society to broadcast serious news and important topics in place of futile programs. Bartlett focuses on demonstrating the benefits the radio brings to listeners when it fully assumes its role as a tool for political communication and information.

In contrast, the author devotes little to no time to value the contribution entertainment programs make to listeners, especially in the postwar period.

The evidence comes from books, newspapers, and scholarly journals. Bartlett also refers to studies conducted through the years but fails to systematically cite the research sources. This lack of references to original sources makes it difficult to verify the accuracy of some information. Moreover, it makes the text appears like Bartlett is basing his argument on his personal advice rather than undisputable facts.

Thus, the article appears biased in favor of the positive effects of serious radio programming. This bias could have been attenuated had the author carefully cited the original sources on which he bases his thesis. As is, his theory is not persuasive to a scholarly audience in and of itself and should be accompanied by other supporting sources.

Written decades before my other source, in a postwar setting, Bartlett’s article reflects a pro-journalistic viewpoint as the radio increasingly broadcasted entertainment programs. Based on its date of publication and provided the author’s perspective and unsystematic citation of original sources are taken into account, this article from a peer-reviewed journal is suitable for academic reference.

Lewis, Tom. “A Godlike Presence: The Impact of Radio on the 1920s and 1930s.” OAH Magazine of History 6, no. 4 (1992): 26–33. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25154082.

In his article “A Godlike Presence: The Impact of Radio on the 1920s and 1930s,” Tom Lewis examines the role of radio in the United States during the two decades surrounding the Great Depression. Tom Lewis is Professor Emeritus of English at the prestigious Skidmore College. He has written several books, all of which focus on the development of American culture and society through the building of roads (“Divided Highways: Building the Interstate Highways, Transforming American Life”), the journey of a river (“The Hudson: A History”), the birth of a city (“Washington: A History of Our National City”), and of course the power of radio (“Empire of the Air: The Men Who Created Radio”). His article on the impact of radio appeared in 1992 in the Organization of American Historians Magazine of History, a scholarly journal published from 1985 through 2013 that, as its name suggests, focuses on American history.

The author argues that as the first modern mass medium, radio transformed America. Through a diversity of entertaining and educational programs, it managed to unite Americans of all ages and social classes around a common culture. Lewis reviews the radio landscape during the two decades studied, the 1920s and 1930s. By citing numerous successful programs that united and entertained the vast majority of listeners, the author illustrates how radio captured listeners' attention fascinated by this new medium. From a patchwork of entertainment, music, and news in the 1920s, programs adopted a much lighter approach in the 1930s to meet listeners' need for escape during the Great Depression. Lewis demonstrates that this welcomed dose of entertainment and comedy helped unite the country in a troubling economic climate. The author further argues that President Roosevelt benefited from this radio craze to talk to his fellow citizens and reassure them in times of crisis.

Lewis' evidence relies on books, scholar-journals, and newspaper articles. At the beginning of his piece, the author clearly states that he also uses many arguments from his book “Empire of the Air: The Men Who Created Radio” but fails to cite the original sources. That could possibly pose credibility and accuracy problems if the article did not come from the pages of a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.

The article does not appear biased. The author points out successful programs but mentions those that did not perform as intended.

Compared to my other sources, Tom Lewis' article sheds valuable light on the political, economic, and social reasons why radio has been so popular in the United States. This source is suitable for academic research because it is published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.

Ruben, Marina Koestler. “Radio Activity: The 100th Anniversary of Public Broadcasting.” Smithsonian Magazine, January 26, 2010. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/radio-activity-the-100th-anniversary-of-public-broadcasting-6555594/.

On the occasion of the centennial of public radio, Marina Koestler Ruben looks back at the high points of public radio. Ruben is a tutor, writer, and editor who works for the prestigious private Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. She writes for several outlets including but not limited to the Washington City Paper, CNN.com, and EducationWeek.org. Her article “Radio Activity: The 100th Anniversary of Public Broadcasting” is published on the Smithsonian Magazine website, associated with the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex.

Ruben argues that from its creation to the present day, public radio has played a fundamental part in broadcasting. She quotes some numbers to demonstrate the growing popularity of public radio among fans during the past century’s defining events. She also lists areas where radio has been particularly successful such as providing news, religious services, education, and entertainment. Finally, Ruben underlines the tenacity of radio in the face of other technologies that have come to challenge it without ever replacing it entirely.

Ruben’s evidence comes from interviews and discussions with scholars specialized in media and communication. She provides a few direct quotes but generally fails to cite references throughout most of her article. The excellent reputation of Smithsonian Magazine bolsters to some degree the reliability of this author’s research, but direct citations, for example, for the numbers she uses, would have been preferable. That said, there appears to be no apparent bias in the article. The author balances both the successes public broadcasting have achieved and the criticisms leveled by its detractors. Thus, despite the lack of direct citations to original sources, the article remains a compelling contribution to the literature on the topic.

Compared to my other source, Ruben adopts a more factual stance and offers a general and reliable summary of public broadcasting history. Despite its shortcomings, this article remains suitable for academic research because there is no apparent bias, and it is published in a reputable magazine.

Smith, Stephen. “Radio: The Internet of the 1930s.” APM Reports, November 10, 2014. https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2014/11/10/radio-the-internet-of-the-1930s.

The article "Radio: The Internet of the 1930s" examines the rise of radio in American society in the early 20th century. Its author Stephen Smith attempts to describe both the positive reactions and the fears of this new mass medium that took over the home. Stephen Smith is the editor of American Public Media Reports where the article was published in 2014. The journalist has received numerous national awards for his work on issues of human rights, education, science, health, and American history. American Public Media Reports, meanwhile, is a news organization offering nonpartisan, independent investigative, and documentary journalism.

The author compares the early days of radio to the Internet revolution in the 21st century. He argues that both media have generated the same debates in the public space about the promise and potential dangers of their influence on society and culture. Smith relays the society's positive reception of radio as a great source of entertainment, especially during the Great Depression in the early 1930s, and of information, notably during the US entry into the war in the 1940s. He explains how radio was able to serve as a large-scale platform for politicians and emphasizes the medium's role in unifying society around a national sentiment in place of a multitude of regional sensibilities. However, Smith does not forget to give voice to radio's detractors and those who worry about its potentially harmful, soporific, and even stultifying effects on listeners who remain completely passive around their radio sets.

Some of Smith's evidence comes from academic journals and newspapers. Yet, the vast majority is not referenced, making the article hard to verify. One can only rely on the good reputation of APM Reports and journalist Stephen Smith to conclude that the article is factually correct. Thankfully, there is no trace of bias; the author is careful to relay both types of opinions about the radio and does not give his personal opinion on the matter.

Compared to my other sources, Smith's article brings valuable diversity of opinions and reactions to the massive arrival of radio in American homes and its potential impact on society.

Thanks to the publication's good reputation and the author's solid background, the article is suitable for academic research despite the lack of references.