Business, Advertising, and the Social Control of News

This study demonstrates how businesses employ their advertising to socially control and thus censor viewpoints they do not like. In 1970-71, when the University of Iowa student newspaper the Daily Iowan (DI) started advocating anti–Vietnam War, feminist, and antigovernment positions, businesses withdrew a substantial amount of advertising, which caused the newspaper to lose money. This led to internal pressure within the paper to change content and staff. The newspaper’s board refused to let these pressures affect the newspaper’s staff. The study analyzes the paper’s content, board minutes, and financial data as well as interviews former DI staff and Iowa City businessmen.