Associate Professor of Journalism Documents Violence Against Journalists in New Book
Last publication from Elizabeth Atwood examines violence against reporters in the United States
By Guest Contributor
Elizabeth Atwood, associate professor of journalism
Elizabeth Atwood, an associate professor of journalism at Hood College, is the author of an upcoming book that documents the history of fatal assaults on journalists in America.
The book, titled, "Deadline: 200 Years of Violence Against Journalists in the United States," is the first comprehensive history of fatal assaults on journalists in America. It tells the stories of 79 reporters and editors who were killed because of their work between the years of 1829 and 2023.
Atwood describes how the reasons for the attacks changed as journalism evolved over the centuries, and it ends by offering solutions to the violence, including stricter laws, better equipment and training for journalists, and public relations outreach.
"Deadline: 200 Years of Violence Against Journalists in the United States" book cover
Atwood was inspired to write the history following the attack on The Gazette newsroom in Annapolis in 2018, in which five newspaper employees, including a former colleague of Atwood’s, were killed.
With the help of student researchers from Hood, Atwood uncovered the histories of fatal attacks that started in 1829 when Kentucky newspaper editor Thomas Benning was stabbed to death for refusing to reveal a source. The book describes attacks on journalists in personal disputes, arguments over ideas, in wars and other conflicts, to stop their reporting and because of hatred of the media institution.
The book will be published Nov. 21, 2025, by University of Missouri Press.
Atwood is an associate professor of journalism at Hood College and teaches news writing and reporting classes as well as media history.
