"On the Road" profiles Penn State's mailman

A couple of years ago, the CBS Evening News brought back the popular feature, "On the Road." The segment, now hosted by Steve Hartman, still covers feel-good stories about people, places and events. Tonight "On the Road" profiled one of my favorite people at Penn State, Mike Herr, better known as "Mike the Mailman." Mike is so beloved because he always has a kind word for customers at the campus post office.

Crusading editor Eugene Patterson dies

Eugene Patterson, an editorial voice of conscience in the South during the Civil Rights era, died yesterday. Patterson was the editor of the Atlanta Constitution from 1960-1968 and wrote powerful columns condemning the violence and miscarriages of justice against blacks.

At the ruins of the 16th Street Baptist where a bomb killed four young girls in 1963, Patterson wrote his most most famous column, “A Flower for the Graves.”  Walter Cronkite was so moved that he asked the editor to read it on the “CBS Evening News.” The column began: “A Negro mother wept in the street Sunday morning in front of a Baptist Church in Birmingham. In her hand she held a shoe, one shoe, from the foot of her dead child. We hold that shoe with her. Every one of us in the white South holds that small shoe in his hand.

Patterson later served as managing editor of the Washington Post and as editor of the St. Petersburg Times. A collection of his columns for The Constitution was published as a book, “The Changing South of Gene Patterson: Journalism and Civil Rights, 1960-1968.”

Lincoln on the press

Here's a quote from Abraham Lincoln that shows why he was one of the most media savvy presidents: "The press has no better friend than I am--no one is more ready to acknowledge its tremendous power for both good and evil."

My new book published

My new book, Civil War Journalism, is out. It is the first synthesis of the journalism during the war from the perspective of both the North and South.  Chapters examine reporting the war, photographing and illustrating the war, editorializing about the war, censorship and government relations, and the impact of the war. The book is part of the Reflections of the Civil War series, edited by John David Smith.

A Web Site for Old News

The New York Times has an interesting story today about the Library of Alexandria, which is archiving every bit of news produced in the last three years by 20 different television channels. The library also has collected everything published on every Web page for the past 15 years, a monumental goal which already adds up tom more than 150 billion Web pages.  The library will be a tremendous resource for future scholars interested in studying the news media.

The State Theatre

Our family went to show at the State Theatre last week, and it got me thinking about the history of the spot that has become one of State's College's best venues for concerts, films and theatrical productions. This is from the State Theatre's web site:

"On October 15th, 1938, Warner Brothers opened The State Theatre as a test market for new films. The state-of-the-art cinema was built in record-time — just four months — for a whopping $70,000. It offered patrons four different flicks each week. General admission was 30 cents for matinees, 35 cents after 5pm, and children’s tickets cost just 15 pennies.

Unfortunately, as the years progressed, the theatre lost its glamour. Gone was the lush theatre with its silk wall fabrics and sweeping balcony, and gone was its place in the community. Doors closed in 2001, indicating the end of an era, and very possibly, the end of The State.

Thankfully, by 1999, some dedicated community members had already envisioned a new life for the dilapidated theatre: an arts performance center, owned and operated by the community. Local groups would have a home stage, and citizens would be able to enjoy diverse music and theatre in an intimate setting. The State Theatre had the potential to revitalize the downtown, expose a range of people to artists both national and international, and bring additional income into the community.

An enthusiastic local contingent threw their weight behind the revival, hosting events, selling pavers and touting the case of The State. Owners Sidney and Helen Friedman, themselves patrons of The State since 1939, generously gave both the theatre and a monetary gift to the community and renovations began. The reconstruction unearthed many lovely architectural elements that were subsequently preserved. The lush glory of The State’s former life was renewed, and State College regained its historic gem."

Over the last five decades, many downtown movie theater like the State closed as a result of the competition from newer venues in the suburbs and changing viewership habits. We're fortunate here that the State did not suffer the same fate.

One giant leap for mankind

The news that Neil Armstrong died yesterday has many recalling the historic walk on the moon on July 20, 1869.  The event was watched by tens of millions of people, including this young boy. It was the largest television event in history, We saw a blurry, black and white picture of Armstrong climb down from the capsule and step carefully on the lunar landscape. His famous words, "That is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," summed up the achievement perfectly.