Journalist Mary Hamilton has received Book of the Year Award

Former York Gazette and Daily journalist Mary Hamilton has been awarded the Book of the Year Award, American Journalism Historians Association, 2008, for her recently published book: “Rising from the Wilderness: J.W. Gitt and his legendary newspaper, the Gazette and Daily of York, Pa.”  A painstaking work of investigative journalism the book is about the newspaper’s no holds barred editor, J.W. Gitt, who was state chairman of the Progressive party in Pennsylvania when the Gazette and Daily was the only commercial newspaper in the United States that supported the Henry Wallace campaign, a very difficult task in view of the predominantly conservative environment of York Pennsylvania during the 1960’s. 

“It was in fact a very liberal newspaper, published in a very conservative community," Hamilton told Jaquemate. "Gitt felt very strongly that the main purpose of the paper was to educate its readers. He thought that if he continually brought to light discrepancies or policies of the United States, such as the war against Vietnam, the public would comprehend those situations better. However, I must admit that he ended up being pretty discouraged. He felt towards the end of his life that the paper had had very little impact.”

She added: "The problem in small towns in the United States is that most of the news media, not just the newspapers, is in the hands of the conglomerate media firms, for whom the bottom line is making money, not going against the wind."

Those readers who are interested in ordering the book may do so by contacting the publisher: York County Heritage Trust, 250 East Market street, York, Pa. 17403.

Web: http://www.yorkheritage.org

You can contact Mary A. Hamilton at: [e-mail]

 

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