The News About the News: American Journalism in Peril - Softcover

There's good news and bad news. That's the inside scoop on the state of journalism from Washington Post editors Leonard Downie Jr. and Robert G. Kaiser, whose book The News About the News sheds light on the changes wrought on the profession during the late 20th century. Using the clear, sharp prose emblematic of their craft, the authors examine the effects of changing business standards, the merger of news and entertainment, and--of course--the Internet explosion on how reporting is produced and consumed. Their verdict is that thoroughly researched, unbiased stories on vital topics not only provide a public service but also will sell papers and commercials. This is, of course, a welcome call to arms for reporters, editors, readers, and viewers to demand higher-quality work from news providers. It's hard to find flaws in their arguments; though they are mildly print-chauvinistic, they recognize the problems of their own medium just as much as radio, TV, and the Web. Readers of The News About the News will find themselves better able to evaluate journalism and, perhaps, to help create a demand for good news. --Rob Lightner

“Unsettling . . . a valuable and alarming book.” –Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Important. . . . Downie and Kaiser offer valuable firsthand insights.” –The New York Times Book Review

“A strong contribution. . . . Downie and Kaiser write from inside the tent, and they write from experience. Their views are worth our attention.” –The Miami Herald

“Unsettling. . . . The News About the News has a message worth reading.” –St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“We needed something persuasively powerful. Here it is. . . . [This book] makes the case that news is essential, that the quality of news has been in decline and that letting it go on declining is not just bad journalism but bad business. I wish I'd written it.” –James M. Naughton, American Journalism Review

“Downie and Kaiser are not campus alarmists, but serious men who do not kid around. . . . A thorough piece of reporting in the upright plain-but-honest tradition.” –Russell Baker, The New York Review of Books

“A vividly written account of what is indeed American journalism in peril. It will grip anyone who reads a paper regularly and watches television.” –The Times Literary Supplement

“Influential. . . . A fascinating inside look.”–The Boston Phoenix

“An insightful and penetrating look at how journalism has changed for the better and worse.” –Booklist

“Refreshing and educational. . . . Any reader who cares about the quality of information available to the American citizenry is bound to learn something new, and probably unforgettable, from this insiders’ account.” –BookPage

“An insightful and authoritative look at how corporate financial demands have consistently eroded newsroom budgets with a corresponding cutback in the coverage of the news.” –The Sacramento Bee

“Brief yet meaningful. . . . An important, up-to-date study that should be required reading for . . . serious consumers of the news.” –Publishers Weekly