ABSTRACT

This study examines news coverage of a federal project that resulted in the building of Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River and sparked an environmental controversy. The project pitted boosters against conservationists, and this research illustrates how western newspapers promoted growth through dams and irrigation. Acknowledging the region in which several newspapers operated, this study uses New Western History to better understand journalism history by highlighting the harsh landscape and the persistence of pioneer values in the 1950s. This research also introduces a new element of environmental journalism history by adding to understanding of such reporting in the 1950s and by approaching the dam controversy from the perspective of journalism rather than environmentalism. Whether newspapers focused on growth and prosperity or preserving natural beauty, their coverage reflected the complexity of the region and its ecosystem.

摘要

本研究调查了联邦项目的新闻报道，该项目导致在科罗拉多河上建造格伦峡谷大坝并引发了一场环境争议。该项目使支持者与自然资源保护主义者对立起来，这项研究说明了西方报纸如何通过水坝和灌溉促进增长。承认几家报纸经营的地区，这项研究通过强调 1950 年代的严酷环境和先锋价值观的持久性，使用新西方历史来更好地理解新闻业的历史。这项研究还通过增加对 1950 年代此类报道的理解，并从新闻而非环保主义的角度处理大坝争议，从而引入了环境新闻史的新元素。