Book Review: ‘Empire of Ink,’ by Alex Wright

Article excerpt

Alex Wright's 'Empire of Ink' traces how technological upheaval and charismatic figures have repeatedly destabilized American journalism. From the telegraph to the internet, Wright examines pivotal moments when new tools and bold personalities reshaped how news reached the public. The book frames these disruptions not as aberrations but as recurring patterns woven into the fabric of American media history. By drawing parallels between past technological shifts and today's digital transformation, Wright suggests current anxieties about journalism's future echo longstanding tensions between innovation and tradition.