In her latest book, Kristina Borjesson once again leaves pundits, media critics, and Monday morning quarterbacks behind. Zeroing in on a stunning lineup of first-hand sources, she presents a unique and utterly fascinating record of self-examination by some of America's top working journalist.

Focusing on the post 9/11 crisis period, Borjesson has interviewed ABC's Ted Koppel, Hearst Newspaper, Helen Thoms, Paul Krugman of the New York Times, Barton Gellman and Walter Pincus of the Washington Post, Associated Press President/CEO Tom Curley, Harpers publisher John MacArthur, Peter Arnett, and many others. This collection of masterful interviews unveils a journalist environment that rivals any long-running soap opera on television. Filled with astonishing personal stories, conflict, and drama, Feet to the Fire gives readers the rare opportunity to walk a mile in the shoes of this nation's most powerful journalists and news executives. Most of them have spent long stretches of their professional lives in what can only be described as pressure-cooker environments ranging from deadly war zones to high-rise corporate offices.

As a serious, first-hand account of contemporary mainstream journalism, the book has no equal. Mindful of the broader historical context and the value of comparing the coverage of recent coonflicts to Vietnam War coverage, Borjesson has included long interviews with Vietnam-era reporters who are still working today, like Peter Arnett. Arnett won a Pulitzer Prize as an Associated Press reporter in Vietnam, was CNN's star war correspondent during the first Gulf War, and became a lightning rod while reporting on the second Gulf War. As an oral account of the current era of crisis, as a deeper and far more insightful view of this nation's most accomplished messengers and the landscape in which they operate, Feet to the Fire is nothing short of a tour-de-force.

Interview subject include: Ted Koppel, Helen Thomas, Tom Curley (President/CEO Associated Press), Peter Arnett, Paul Krugman (New York Times), Barton Gellman and Walter Pincus (Washington Post), Deborah Amos (NPR war correspondent), Jon Alpert (independent producer/cameraman). John MacArthur, Tom Yelling (executive producer for Peter Jennings), Chris Hedges, and James Bamford (National Security reporter).

"Borjesson, an award-winning investigative reporter turned media critic, gathers an impressive list of journalists in what purports to be 'an oral account of the current era of crisis,' but the author is less interested in her group's answers than whether they agree with her premises: the Bush administration is evil, the American media are largely complicit, and the American public is idiotic. Throughout, Borjesson focuses on botched coverage leading up to the war in Iraq. Her 'questions,' some amounting to an entire paragraph, others more statement than inquiry, rankle some subjects and motivate others. Ted Koppel bristles at Borjesson's sweeping judgments, while New York Times writer-economist Paul Krugman follows the author's lead almost to the edge of reason. Other times, Borjesson doesn't even listen to her subjects' answers; upon hearing Washington Post special projects reporter Barton Gellman give a thoughtful argument for reconstruction stories ('journalism after the fact') as a valuable way to explain how things happened, including the Bush administration's successful campaign for war, Borjesson smugly rejects the notion: 'But you understand how presenting this evidence after the war instead of while the case for war is being made is totally moot.' Flawed, yes. Totally moot, no. And Gellman, for anyone who cares to pay attention, impressively explains the difference. In fact, this book is full of such insightful commentary. Just skip the questions." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Twenty-one distinguished US journalists, beginning with Ted Koppel and concluding with Knight Ridder's war correspondent Tom Lasseter talk candidly about what's happening to journalism in America as a result of the trend toward junk information and misinformation. Their comments shed light on fundamental changes in the relationship between the government and the governed, and the government and the press. The veteran insiders see a widespread failure to cover government mistakes and malfeasance and a growing willingness of the media to play the role of the administration's propaganda arm. Editor Borjesson, an investigative reporter who has worked for CBS and CNN, is also the author of Into the Buzzsaw.
Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Twenty-one distinguished US journalists, beginning with Ted Koppel and concluding with Knight Ridder's war correspondent Tom Lasseter talk candidly about what's happening to journalism in America as a result of the trend toward junk information and misinformation. Their comments shed light on fundamental changes in the relationship between the government and the governed, and the government and the press. The veteran insiders see a widespread failure to cover government mistakes and malfeasance and a growing willingness of the media to play the role of the administration's propaganda arm. Editor Borjesson, an investigative reporter who has worked for CBS and CNN, is also the author of Into the Buzzsaw. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Zeroing in on a stunning lineup of firsthand sources, Borjesson presents a unique and fascinating record of self-examination by some of America's top working journalists. Illustrations.

A Serious, first-hand account of contemporary mainstream journalism by some of America's top working journalists, based on interviews with ABC's Ted Koppel, Paul Krugman of the New York Times, Associated Press President/CEO Tom Curley, and many others.