The Making of McPaper: The Inside Story of USA Today

By Peter S. Prichard and Peter Prichand

Book Overview

In 1982 the Gannett Company, the nation's biggest newspaper chain, launched USA TODAY. USA TODAY celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2007. The brainchild of Al Neuharth, it was the most expensive, most... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0836279395
• ISBN13: 9780836279399
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Pub
• Length: 370 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 5.5" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Leadership and Vision

I came across this book in a Bethesda library in the early 90s and still think of the story. It is a fascinating tale that shows how vision, ego, and ambition come together to develop a product unlike any before it. It is a story about the man behind the product and how he perservered. I enjoyed this book in the same way that I enjoyed The New New Thing about Jim Clark. I've recently bought my first house and have decided to go back and purchase books for my library that stand out in my mind as influential in the way I've looked at business and decisions I've made. I'll have this one on the shelf by the end of the month.

A great history of Gannett's national newspaper

"The Making of McPaper" is a well-written, all-encompassing history of USA Today - and the only extensive work I've been able to find on the paper. Written by a former editor, it is not just propaganda; praise and criticism both are included. (Of course, USA Today wins in the end.) It is a quick read for those interested in the business of journalism and the journalism business. Also read "Confessions of an SOB" by Al Neuharth for his take on the paper's start-up.