Review:
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
From the Back Cover:
"Drawing on their rich experience as top editors of the Washington Post, Leonard Downie and Robert Kaiser have written a timely, thorough report on the future of news. They cite the pressures in journalism today, but reject easy gloom-and-doom conclusions-rather, they see the continuing value of good journalism, whatever its form, as crucial to our society."
-David Laventhol, Editorial Director, Columbia Journalism Review
"Rarely have such prominent, powerful editors broken with the gentlemen's club of journalism to take their colleagues to task so candidly. Reporting methodically from inside their profession, Downie and Kaiser skewer the profit-hungry miscreants and extol the solid, serious practitioners of a vital craft."
-David K. Shipler, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and former New York Times reporter
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.