Synopses & Reviews
Criticism of the media has a long and colorful history. This volume brings together outstanding examples of media criticism covering a range of issues: the inadequacy of the press to police themselves, the importance of ethics and training, the problem of bias and sensationalism, and the threat of censorship. Readings are chosen from magazines, journals, official reports, and books that have been long out of print. New selections include A.J. Liebling's early warning of the dangers of media consolidation in 1963; Will Irwin's analysis of journalism's growing power and pervasiveness in 1911; Daniel P. Moynihan's look at the changing relationship between the press and the presidency in 1971; Robert Darnton's 1975 essay on creative license; and Leo C. Rosten's statistical survey of the sociological makeup of newspaper correspondents in 1930s Washington, and the effect of a journalist's psychology on the character of their reporting.
Synopsis
Killing the Messenger has long been a popular resource for readers eager to experience the best media criticism of the past century. Selections are chosen from magazines, journals, official reports, public speeches, and books that have been long out of print and cover a range of issues: the inadequacy of the press to police themselves, the importance of ethics and training, the problem of bias and sensationalism, and the threat of censorship.
Pieces by Theodore Roosevelt, Louis Brandeis, Joseph Pulitzer, Upton Sinclair, Spiro Agnew, George Seldes, and John Hersey, among others, are now joined by A. J. Liebling's early warning of the dangers of media consolidation, Will Irwin's analysis of journalism's growing power and pervasiveness, Daniel P. Moynihan's look at the changing relationship between the press and the presidency in 1971, Robert Darnton's essay on creative license, and Leo C. Rosten's statistical survey of the sociological makeup of newspaper correspondents in 1930s Washington and the effect of a journalist's psychology on the character of his reporting.
Killing the Messenger serves as a valuable reminder that criticizing the press is an old and invaluable tradition in our country and that many of today's issues have their roots in these fascinating and provocative examples of early criticism.