SUNY New Paltz logo

Howard Good

Biographical profile

Howard Good has taught journalism for 20 years at SUNY New Paltz, where he has been an innovative teacher and prolific author. His writings have gained him a national reputation for his expertise on issues ranging from media ethics to literary journalism to the administration of local public schools. He is the author of 11 books.

Dr. Good grew up on Long Island, studied literature at Bard College in the Hudson Valley and then earned a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Iowa. In 1984 he completed his Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of Michigan. His Ph.D. dissertation eventually became his first book,

Acquainted With the Night: The Image of Journalists in American Fiction, 1890-1930.

In and around his studies, Professor Good has also spent time as a journalist in various newsrooms. His first job was at the Ann Arbor News in Michigan, where he was the “wire” editor, a key person in charge of news coming to the paper from various newsgathering services. Then he worked as assistant national editor for three years at the Charlotte Observer, the largest and most influential newspaper in the Carolinas.

In 1980 Good took his journalism and scholarly credentials and moved full-time to the classroom to become a journalism educator. He taught at the University of North Dakota for three years and at Iona College for one year before coming to New Paltz in 1985. Since he joined the faculty Dr. Good has helped grow the program into the first -- and most active --major in journalism in the public university system in New York State.

Dr. Good is the author of 10 books on topics ranging from journalism to film to school politics. His most recent book is series of essays on the six years he spent as an elected member of a school board in his home community, Highland, N.Y. “This joyous little book instantly captured my attention,” one reviewer said. The reviewer called the book “a source of inspiration” while another reviewer described his writing as
“insightful as well as enjoyable to read.” www.asbj.com/2004/02/0204asbjreviews.pdf

www.aasa.org/publications/jsp/fall_2004.pdf

Good has written two books about education policy and politics growing out of his experience and has two more under contract. http://www.asbj.com/200 5/01/0105asbjgood. pdf

He has also produced two books on media ethics, his specialty area that makes his Media Ethics class one the campus’ more popular offerings. In one of his ethics books he uses Hollywood movies to dissect and analyze the dilemmas faced by journalists. His other ethics book is a series of case studies meant to guide the media’s conduct.

In Good’s first five books he discusses the various ways that society portrays and typecasts journalists, as well as the ways that journalists have perpetuated stereotypes of the profession.

http://www.ijpc.org/sobgoodbest.htm/ http://www.newpaltz.edu/news/release.cfm?item=397/

Professor Good also writes poetry. His first book of verse, Death of the Frog Prince, was published in 2004. http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/Poetry/71Outtakes.htm

 

Communication and Media

CSB 43
75 South Manheim Blvd.
New Paltz, New York 12561
Phone: 845-257-3454 or 257-3450
Fax: 845-257-3461
Goodh@newpaltz.edu

Howard Good

COURSES TAUGHT

53230 Journalism 1

53314 Feature Writing

53334 Literature of Journalism

90347 Media Ethics

EDUCATION

Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., B.A., Literature, 1973

University of Iowa, Iowa City, M.A., Journalism, 1974

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, M.A., American Culture, 1977

University of Michigan, Ph.D., American Culture, 1984

 

BOOKS AND ARTICLES

The Theory of Oz: Rediscovering the Aims of Education. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.

Death of the Frog Prince (poetry chapbook). Kanona, N.Y.: FootHills Publishing, 2004.

Educated Guess: A School Board Member Reflects. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Education, 2003.

Desperately Seeking Ethics: A Guide to Media Conduct (editor). Lanham, MD:Scarecrow Press, 2003.

Media Ethics Goes to the Movies (with Michael Dillon). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2002.

The Drunken Journalist: The Biography of a Film Stereotype. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2000.

Girl Reporter: Gender, Journalism, and the Movies. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1998.

Diamonds in the Dark: America, Baseball, and the Movies. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1997.

The Journalist as Autobiographer. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1993.

Outcasts: The Image of Journalists in Contemporary Film. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1989.

Acquainted With the Night: The Image of Journalists in American Fiction, 1890-1930. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1986.

”Muckraking and the Ethic of Care.” In The Muckrakers: Evangelical Crusaders, ed. by Robert Miraldi. Wesport, CT: Praeger, 2000.

”The Image of Journalism in American Poetry,” American Journalism IV (1987): 123-32.

”The Image of War Correspondents in Anglo-American Fiction,” Journalism Monographs, No. 97, June 1986.