Journalism in Ireland - How Two Irish Newspapers Covered the 1960 Presidential Election of John F. Kennedy

For decades the Kennedys of Boston were seen as the greatest example of what Irish Catholic immigrants could achieve in America. In 1960 John F. Kennedy ran for president against Vice President Richard M. Nixon - and Ken­nedy's religion became a major campaign issue. This study examines how two major Irish newspapers with very different histories and readerships - the Irish Independent and The Irish Times - covered the election with particular focus on how the newspapers wrote about the religious controversy and Ken­nedy's cultural affinity with the land of his ancestors. This book is addressed to journalism researchers interested in political coverage of presidential elections in general and the 1960 election in particular John F. Kennedy the role of religious affiliation in American society and the history of Irish journalism.