See related dissertation: "Reading, reform and rural change: the Midwestern farm press, 1895-1920", This article argues that historians should not take agricultural newspapers as is and assume they expressed the farmer's point of view. Farm newspapers often reflected urban reform ideas, such as those involving rural school consolidation, rural churches and family farms. "Farm newspapers are better seen not as expressing the ideas of farmers, but providing a forum for reformers and farmers to debate proposed changes to country life." Research involved four midwestern farm newspapers between 1895 and 1920: Iowa Homestead; Wallaces' Farmer; Prairie Farmer; and Missouri Ruralist.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: Byrnes13a Document Number: C12529
Notes:
Francis C. Byrnes Collection, Pages 143-161 in Delbert T. Myren (ed.), First interamerican research symposium on the role of communications in agricultural development held October 5-13, 1964, in Mexico City, Mexico. 163 p.
