When the Press Fails

Description

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 administration’s 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 media’s 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 Katrina—a rare event that caught officials off guard, enabling journalists to enter a no-spin zone—When 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 press has 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 media’s dereliction in covering the administration’s 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

Description

"Why, in these times when we most need a critical, independent press, does this essential pillar of democracy fail us? A look at the intimate relationship between political power and the news media, When the Press Fails argues that reporters' dependence on official sources disastrously thwarts coverage of dissenting voices from all but the most influential circles." "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 interviews with journalists and Washington insiders and analyses of coverage by major news outlets, the authors show that such catastrophic blind spots, particularly during the Abu Ghraib controversy, have stemmed from the media's reluctance to use other credible sources when high-level officials are not questioning the administration publicly. Contrasting these failures with the critical reporting on Hurricane Katrina - a rare event that caught officials off guard, enabling journalists to enter a no-spin zone - When the Press Fails concludes by proposing new practices to reduce reporters' dependence on power." 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 administration?s 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 conten.

Subjects

Other Editions

• When the Press Fails: Political Power and the News Media from Iraq to Katrina (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion)University Of Chicago Press2007-05-15
• When the Press FailsElectronic resourceUniversity of Chicago Press2008