Helix

Photo by Line 6. I got a Line 6 Helix recently, something I swore I would never do. It's lighter, cheaper and far less maintenance than a tube amp, so of course I would. If I were a touring musician, I'd probably get the Rack version. The generations of musicians that are just finding their … Continue reading Helix →

Making It in the Political Blogosphere

Making It in the Political Blogosphere: The World's Top Political Bloggers Share the Secrets to Success by Tanni Haas Lutterworth Press (8 November 2011) Amazon Making It in the Political Blogosphere is a simple, concise introduction to blogging as a political practice, and what motivates political bloggers. Tanni Haas focused on twenty high-profile figures in … Continue reading Making It in the Political Blogosphere →

The Gawker Guide to Conquering All Media

The Gawker Guide to Conquering All Media by Gawker Media Atria Books (2 October 2007) Amazon Gawker Media was an independent media company and blog network, spanning several sites. Founded in 2002, it was the largest independent media organisation in the world, prior to its bankruptcy in 2016. The Gawker Guide to Conquering All Media … Continue reading The Gawker Guide to Conquering All Media →

Between Fact and Fiction

Between Fact and Fiction: The Problem of Journalism by Edward J. Epstein Vintage (12 October 1975) Amazon Edward J. Epstein always did an excellent job at explaining the business structure behind the news, and Between Fact and Fiction definitely lives up to this. The text focuses on the negative relationship between journalism and truth. Between … Continue reading Between Fact and Fiction →

News from Nowhere

News from Nowhere: Television and the News by Edward J. Epstein Fodor's Travel Publications (12 March 1974) Amazon I am a big fan of Edward J. Epstein's work, News from Nowhere being chief among them. No media-literacy reading list could be complete without at least a couple of his books. Those who have read Trust … Continue reading News from Nowhere →

Bennett’s New York Herald and the Rise of the Popular Press

Bennett's New York Herald and the Rise of the Popular Press by James L. Crouthamel Syracuse University Press (30 September 2018) Amazon James Gorden Bennett's New York Herald was NY's first cheap, popular, mass-circulation paper, and in this text, James L. Crouthamel examines the ways in which it covered the news. It's not a comprehensive … Continue reading Bennett’s New York Herald and the Rise of the Popular Press →

Manufacturing Consent

Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky Pantheon Books Inc. (1 January 2002) Amazon First published in 1988, Manufacturing Consent is about the propaganda model of communication, a model advanced by economist Edward S. Herman and the "father of modern linguistics" Noam Chomsky. Media organisations function … Continue reading Manufacturing Consent →

Getting It Wrong

Getting It Wrong: Ten of the Greatest Misreported Stories in American Journalism by W. Joseph Campbell University of California Press (15 July 2010) Amazon Getting It Wrong is a deep dive into some of the most exaggerated and outright fake stories in the history of American journalism. In my last piece, I mentioned William Randolph … Continue reading Getting It Wrong →

The Brass Check

The Brass Check: A Study of American Journalism by Upton Sinclair Lulu.com (1 January 2019) Amazon The Brass Check is Upton Sinclair's account of journalism as an industry, published in 1919. The term "brass check" refers to money given secretly to journalists for their service, as a sort of pay-for-play racket of the media ecosystem … Continue reading The Brass Check →

The Uncrowned King

The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst by Kenneth Whyte Counterpoint (8 December 2009) Amazon What's it about?: Kenneth Whyte's biography of William Randolph Hearst, focusing on the years of his takeover of New York magazine. It attempts to challenge the popular image of Hearst as a ruthless mogul and media tycoon, … Continue reading The Uncrowned King →