Scholar/historian and author Professor James Ford Risley will explore the history of American journalism during a lecture and book signing on his new book “How America Gets the News: A History of U.S. Journalism.”

The program will be held at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum at 1 p.m. on Nov. 2. It is funded in partnership with the Pennsylvania Tourism Office.

“This program is for everyone who wonders how today’s news media have developed from small, early colonial newspapers into modern news conglomerates and far-flung digital media,” said Joseph Garrera, executive director of the Heritage Museum.

Risley’s presentation is designed to help the audience gain an appreciation of American journalism history in order to become better-informed consumers of today’s news media.

Event admission is free to members, while there is a fee for nonmembers.

Risley is a distinguished professor in the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University.

Risley’s book will be available for purchase, and the author will sign copies.

This event is made possible by grant funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development.

The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is located at 432 W. Walnut St. in Allentown.

Regular Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

For more information, visit www.lehighvalleyheritagemuseum.org or the museum’s Facebook page.