Synopses & Reviews
A concise and authoritative account of the fifty-year history of Spain's state-owned news agency, this book offers an illuminating case study in press-government relations. It chronicles the development of EFE from its founding in 1938-1939, to its emergence in the 1980s as the West's fifth largest news service and the dominant communications giant in the Hispanic world. Kim examines EFE's shifting relations with successive Spanish governments. He describes its activities as a Falangist propaganda agency during the Spanish Civil War and its political functions under the Franco dictatorship during World War II and the postwar period. Changes within the agency during the transition of 1976 to 1982 are discussed, and EFE's impact on the democratization process is given detailed consideration.
Among the many topics covered are EFE as a political symbol, censorship, press law, EFE finances and legal status, organizational changes, technical modernization, and relations with other news agencies. The first work to provide a definitive record of La Agencia EFE, this book contains a wealth of information on the political and social history of modern Spain, international journalism, and the modern communications industry.
Review
EFE, a state-owned news agency of Spain, began during 1938-39, and is the West's fifth largest news service. Kim provides a compact, authoritative 50-year history of the dominant communications power in the Hispanic world. Kim describes the wire service's changing relationships with different governmental administtrations. He starts with the beginning activities as a Falangist propaganda agency during the Spanish Civil War. He characterises its functions during the dictatorship of Franco in World War II and the post-war era and the later period under the socialist regime. The author covers such subjects as EFE as a political symbol, censorship, its relation to press law, its finances, legal status, organisational changes, technical modernisation, and relatons with other news agencies. The book is an important contribution to international journalism.Media Development
Synopsis
A concise and authoritative account of the fifty-year history of Spain's state-owned news agency, this book offers an illuminating case study in press-government relations. It chronicles the development of EFE from its founding in 1938-1939, to its emergence in the 1980s as the West's fifth largest news service and the dominant communications giant in the Hispanic world. Kim examines EFE's shifting relations with successive Spanish governments. He describes its activities as a Falangist propaganda agency during the Spanish Civil War and its political functions under the Franco dictatorship during World War II and the postwar period. Changes within the agency during the transition of 1976 to 1982 are discussed, and EFE's impact on the democratization process is given detailed consideration. Among the many topics covered are EFE as a political symbol, censorship, press law, EFE finances and legal status, organizational changes, technical modernization, and relations with other news agencies. The first work to provide a definitive record of "La Agencia EFE," this book contains a wealth of information on the political and social history of modern Spain, international journalism, and the modern communications industry.
About the Author
SOON JIN KIM is a journalism professor at Towson State University.
Table of Contents
Preface
Prologue: The Spanish Were Coming (1936-1986)
Casino De Burgos (1936-1939)
Managing Three Wars (1939-1945)
EFE's Cold Wars (1946-1950)
Fifteen Years of Peace (1951-1965)
Heart in Americas (1966-1969)
Isthmian Little Giant (1970-1975)
Searching the World (1976-1982)
On U.S. Wavelength (1983-1986)
Evaluation (1985-1989)
Bibliography
Index