A review of Clifford Connor’s A People History of Science in the New York Times this past weekend has this observation:
A great moment in the history of science was the publication of Andreas Vesalius's anatomy book, De Humani Corporis Fabrica, in 1543. What made the book a triumph wasn't the Latin text Vesalius wrote but the 420 illustrations. He never took the trouble to name the artists he'd hired to draw them. Nobody has ever translated the whole of Vesalius's text into a modern Western language; the illustrations have stayed in print from that year to this.
The review was written by Jonathan Weiner.
Illustrators, even anonymous ones, can have a great impact on their audience – and this is a prime example of just that.
Read more about journalism and issues facing the profession at JPROF.com.
The general manager of the public radio station in Lexington, Ky., caused a minor flap late last week by announcing that he was pulling Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac off WUKY. Tom Godell expressed some dismay at the language that was cropping up in some of the poems that Keillor had read on the program and fear that his station would be fined by the Federal Communications Commission. Keillor was certainly no Howard Stern, Godell said, but “the FCC has been so inconsistent, we don’t know where we stand.”
One of the best mystery novelists around today is William G. Tapply, creator of the Brady Coyne mystery series. Tapply's novels live up to the cover blurbs -- well-formed characters, tightly woven plots and elegant writing. Tapply practices what many of us who teach writing often preach, and he gives voice to some of those practices in 
John H. Johnson. The nation lost one of its media pioneers on Monday, Aug. 8, 2005, with the death of John H. Johnson. He was the Chicago entrepaneur and publisher who recognized that blacks aspired to be better off and have more -- and that they were gaining the ability to pay for it. His magazines, including Negro Digest, Ebony and Jet, gave voice to a rising black middle class that emerged from World War II. It was a time when blacks were often degraded or more commonly ignored by white owned and operated media. But Johnson saw the rise of of black artists, athletes and actors as indicative of what all blacks aspired to -- making life better for themselves and their children. Johnson's death has been overshadowed by that of ABC news anchor Peter Jennings, which is too bad. Johnson's effect on the mass media of the 20th century, and on American society itself, has been profound.
The trial of high school teacher John Scopes in Dayton, Tenn., 80 years ago this month remains one of the 20th century's iconic events. It drew vast media attention and pitted cultural forces against one another that are still at war today. This week, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Scopes trial, the Smithsonian Institution announced that it had discovered new images of the trial that had been hidden away for many years. One such image (right) shows Clarence Darrow questioning William Jennings Bryan at the trial. The courtroom had been moved outside of the Rhea County courthouse because of the sweltering heat and the large crowds who had come to see the confrontation
The sixth edition of Writing for the Mass Media is now in print and available for fall adoptions. This edition contains much of the same material and exercises found in previous editions, but there are a few new features: a completely rewritten chapter on writing for the web, updated examples and exercises, a glossary, and a new web site that ties in closely with JPROF.com. Instructors can order exam copies at 
When I taught at the University of Alabama, I would give a 100-question grammar, spelling, punctuation and diction exam to beginning writing students. The test was a difficult one, but students had to make at least a 75 on the exam to pass the beginning writing course offered by the College of Communication and Information Sciences. That exam is not available on JPROF.com, but the 
When Rather succeeded Walter Cronkite, there were more than a few office pools on how long he could last. Few people were as respected by the public as Cronkite, and the fiesty and passionate Rather was not given much of a chance at taking his place. Rather didn't take his place. Instead, through his good journalism and the force of his personality, he carved out a place of his own.