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When the Press Fails: Political Power and the News Media from Iraq to Katrina (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion)by W. Lance Bennett
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:< div> < div> During the gravest moments of George W. Bush& #8217; s tenure& #8212; the response to 9/11, the buildup to war with Iraq, the Abu Ghraib scandal& #8212; the media largely reported reality as his administration scripted it. Why, in these times when we most need a critical, independent press, does this essential pillar of democracy fail us? A sobering look at the intimate relationship between political power and the news media, < i> When the Press Fails< /i> argues that reporters& #8217; dependence on official sources disastrously thwarts coverage of dissenting voices from outside the beltway.< br> < /div> < div> & nbsp; < /div> < div> The result is both an indictment of official spin and an urgent call to action that begins by questioning why the mainstream press neglected to cover considerable evidence against the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Drawing on hard-hitting interviews with journalists and analysis of content from major news outlets, the authors show that such catastrophic blind spots, particularly during the Abu Ghraib controversy, have stemmed from a lack of high-level sources within government willing to question the administration publicly. Contrasting these grave failures with the refreshingly critical reporting on Hurricane Katrina& #8212; a rare event that caught officials off guard, enabling journalists to enter a no-spin zone& #8212; < i> When the Press Fails< /i> concludes by proposing new practices to reduce reporters& #8217; dependence on power.< br> & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; < /div> < div> The authors ultimately contend that if ordinary Americans& nbsp; start to hear alternative perspectives aired in the legitimizing arena of the mainstream press, they just might begin to act as a public& #8212; no longer suffering with private shock and awe as world-changing events unfold before their eyes. < /div> < /div> Review:"When the Press Fails is a valuable and clarifying book for people in the news media-and perhaps even more for members of the public who feel abused by the press's failures. Inside and outside the news business, everyone knows that something serious is wrong with the way Americans get and assess information. This book does a very good job of explaining what that something is, and what parts of it can be addressed."-James Fallows, author of Breaking the News and correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly Review:"The boldest thesis in this book, the one I was most delighted to see--and at least able to assert is really true--is that this attitude of timidity and obeisance [by the media] is actually bringing on the decline in readership and viewership that it, in part, seeks to avoid."--Jim Boyd, Nieman Reports Review:"Bennett, Lawrence, and Livingston are indisputably right about the news medias dereliction in covering the administrations campaign to take the nation to war against Iraq."-Don Wycliff, Chicago Tribune Review:"Their analysis of the weaknesses of Washington journalism deserves close attention."-Russell Baker, New York Review of Books Review:"This is a vigorously researched book, showing how crises, such as the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, flare up and are swiftly extinguished: torture is diluted to abuse, to mistreatment; culpability is segregated to a few bad apples." Review:"Political partisans have tried for years to discredit journalists, resulting in a press corps now overly conscious of its image. This book illustrates how America gets hurt when journalists are too intimidated to do their jobs."-Bob Edwards, host of the Bob Edwards Show and former host of Morning Edition Synopsis:A sobering look at the intimate relationship between political power and the news media, When the Press Fails argues the dependence of reporters on official sources disastrously thwarts coverage of dissenting voices from outside the Beltway. The result is both an indictment of official spin and an urgent call to action that questions why the mainstream press failed to challenge the Bush administrations arguments for an invasion of Iraq or to illuminate administration policies underlying the Abu Ghraib controversy. Drawing on revealing interviews with Washington insiders and analysis of content from major news outlets, the authors illustrate the medias unilateral surrender to White House spin whenever oppositional voices elsewhere in government fall silent. Contrasting these grave failures with the refreshingly critical reporting on Hurricane Katrinaa rare event that caught officials off guard, enabling journalists to enter a no-spin zoneWhen the Press Fails concludes by proposing new practices to reduce reporters dependence on power.
“The hand-in-glove relationship of the U.S. media with the White House is mercilessly exposed in this determined and disheartening study that repeatedly reveals how the presshas toed the official line at those moments when its independence was most needed.”George Pendle, Financial Times
“Bennett, Lawrence, and Livingston are indisputably right about the news medias dereliction in covering the administrations campaign to take the nation to war against Iraq.”Don Wycliff, Chicago Tribune “[This] analysis of the weaknesses of Washington journalism deserves close attention.”Russell Baker, New York Review of Books About the AuthorW. Lance Bennett is professor of political science and the Ruddick C. Lawrence Professor of Communication at the University of Washington. Regina G. Lawrence is the Kevin P. Reilly Sr. Chair of Political Communication in the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University. Steven Livingston is professor of media and international affairs in the School of Media and Public Affairs and the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsINTRODUCTION The Press and Power 1 PRESS POLITICS IN AMERICA The Case of the Iraq War 2 THE SEMI-INDEPENDENT PRESS A Theory of News and Democracy 3 NONE DARE CALL IT TORTURE Abu Ghraib and the Inner Workings of Press Dependence 4 THE NEWS REALITY FILTER Why It Matters When the Press Fails 5 MANAGING THE NEWS Spin, Status, and Intimidation in the Washington Political Culture 6 TOWARD AN INDEPENDENT PRESS A Standard for Public Accountability APPENDIX A Evidence Suggesting a Connection between Abu Ghraib and U.S. Torture Policy APPENDIX B Methods for Analyzing the News Framing of Abu Ghraib APPENDIX C Further Findings from the Content Analysis APPENDIX D Interview ProtocolNotesReferencesIndex What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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