Censored 1998: The News That Didn't Make the News [Paperback]

Peter Phillips (Editor), Tom Tomorrow (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 1998

The yearly volumes of Censored, in continuous publication since 1976 and since 1995 available through Seven Stories Press, is dedicated to the stories that ought to be top features on the nightly news, but that are missing because of media bias and self-censorship. The top stories are listed democratically in order of importance according to students, faculty, and a national panel of judges. Each of the top stories is presented at length, alongside updates from the investigative reporters who broke the stories.
Beyond the Top 25 stories, additional chapters delve further into timely media topics: The Censored News and Media Analysis section provides annual updates on Junk Food News and News Abuse, Censored Déjà Vu, signs of hope in the alternative and news media, and the state of media bias and alternative coverage around the world. In the Truth Emergency section, scholars and journalists take a critical look at the US/NATO military-industrial-media empire. And in the Project Censored International section, the meaning of media democracy worldwide is explored in close association with Project Censored affiliates in universities and at media organizations all over the world.
A perennial favorite of booksellers, teachers, and readers everywhere, Censored is one of the strongest life signs of our current collective desire to get the news we citizens need—despite what Big Media tells us.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

PROJECT CENSORED, founded in 1976 by Carl Jensen, has as its principal objective the advocacy for and protection of First Amendment rights and the freedom of information in the United States. In 2008, Project Censored received the PEN/Oakland Literary Censorship Award for the publication of Censored 2009. For more information, visit www.projectcensored.org.
PETER PHILLIPS, director emeritus of Project Censored and president of the Media Freedom Foundation, is an associate professor of sociology at Sonoma State University. He is known for his op-ed pieces in the alternative press and independent newspapers nationwide, such as Z Magazine and Social Policy. He is also the winner of the 2009 Dallas Smythe Award, presented by the Union for Democratic Communication.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (April 7, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888363649
• ISBN-13: 978-1888363647
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,163,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lifting the lid, September 18, 2000

By 

Douglas Doepke (Claremont, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Censored 1998: The News That Didn't Make the News (Paperback)

A highly useful book that includes in its contents: unreported or underreported stories from the mainstream media; a guide to names, addresses and websites of the alternative press; essays and commentaries discussing aspects of the media; and a nifty little chart that traces interlocking corporate rtelationships between the media combines and their fat cat corporate pardners.

The stories themselves vary widely as could be expected. There is however, as Michael Parenti points out, a thread connecting the diversity. That common thread reveals a corporate drive to dominate the civic culture and suppress those stories that might otherwise hinder big money domination. Question - Does this subtext reflect the book's editorial bias as one out to get corporate capitalism, or does it reflect the power of these combines to get their media way on a national scale. You decide. The following are a brief sample of the suppressed stories of 1998.

Big outfits such as Weyerhauser, Coors, et. al., are combining to pressure individual states into passing laws preventing public disclosure or civil suits following upon violation of environmental laws. It works like this. The firm reports its violation to the state and in return receives immunity from prosecution and a sealing of official records from public view. No harm, no foul, and no Erin Brockoviches.

White-collar crime is hardly ever prosecuted by the Justice Dep't - the statistics are in. Of 52,000 criminal indictments in 1996, only 250 involved violations of OSHA laws protecting environment and worker health and safety. This in the face of about 60,000 estimated worker deaths yearly from exposure to toxins. And still business lobbies like NAM and US Chamber of Commerce discourage even this pitiful percentage.

As to that earlier question, I know how I would respond.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Free the Press!!!, March 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Censored 1998: The News That Didn't Make the News (Paperback)

Project Censored once again demonstrates how corporate media fails to report such important news stories to the general public. One only needs to compare the top ten junk food news stories to project censored's top ten news stories to see how the media has become an entertainment industry, concerned with ratings and buyers. It is shocking to see how the public can let such events happen without demanding reform. As always, I loved the cartoons by Tom Tomorrow. Great index of alternative news publications.