UNA Professor Authors Book on Community Newspapers
Feb. 12, 2024
Ella G. Stephenson , at estephenson5@zo23.com
University of North Alabama Communications Professor Dr. Beth Garfrerick has recently written a new book, “Twentieth Century Weekly Community Newspapers in the United States,” published by Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.
Garfrerick said she had personal reasons for choosing her book’s topic.
“I had a deep interest in small-town weekly newspapers as a master’s and doctoral student at the University of Alabama and as a former small-town daily newspaper reporter at the TimesDaily in Florence,” she said. “My book offers a ‘warts and all’ look at the role of small-town weekly newspapers in the United States. It is especially timely because many community weeklies are shutting their doors after generations of family ownership and chain downsizing for financial survival.”
As part of her role as a professor, Garfrerick said she strives to help her students develop an understanding and appreciation for the field they are on the cusp of entering. In this way, she said it helps students develop a respect for those who came before them.
After 20 years of teaching, however, Garfrerick will retire at the end of Summer 2024 semester, and her book is a testament to her research as well as the philosophy she brings to the classroom.
“Dr. Garfrerick has established her mark amongst communication historians with the writing of her text,” said Dr. Pat Sanders, Chair of the UNA Department of Communication. “It will hopefully become an often-referenced source for teaching and learning about the importance of community newspapers. The publication of this text is a culmination of a stellar academic career for Beth. We wish her the absolute best as she moves into the next phase of her life.”
Before joining the Department of Communication at UNA, Garfrerick earned her undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Alabama; has 20 years of professional experience in journalism and public relations; and has received practitioner and teaching awards from multiple professional associations throughout her career.
To purchase a copy of this book, please use this link.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: zo23.com and zo23.com/unaworks/.