The biographical dictionary of journalists and newspaper history

All biographical dictionaries relating to professions or occupations, besides providing information on the individuals associated with these profession or occupations, also provide a valuable asset for those researching the history of those professions. Thus, a biographical dictionary of those involved in the medical profession will be of undoubted interest to anyone studying the history of medicine. Similarly, with regards to the history of the theatre in the case of a biographical dictionary of Actors. The same applies to Scoop: a biographical dictionary of British and Irish journalists and its relevance to newspaper and media history. An understanding of the personnel involved in the industry is critical to comprehending the history of that industry in all its facets.

However, there are few biographical dictionaries relating to a profession which can have the global application of this dictionary. Because journalism as a profession has as its subject matter the whole of human experience, its relevance will extend to all aspects of human activity. From art history to zoological history this dictionary will have some relevance. In the realm of art history, besides artists and cartoonists working as journalists there have also been art critics working on newspapers. Drama critics and music critics are relevant to theatre history. There are also sports correspondents, crime and law correspondents, fashion correspondents, religious correspondents, political correspondents, economic correspondents, and foreign correspondents etc., all of which provide information on their respective area of activity. As well as this, there are war correspondents whose lives provide insights into all the conflicts over a period of 150 years and women journalists illuminating the role of women in the professions and thus political and social history in general.

All in all it is difficult to envisage another biographical dictionary which while providing an important research tool for those whose family had an ancestor in the profession, at the same time embraces so much of the general artistic, military, diplomatic, religious economic and social worlds of the past.