Confessions of an American Media Man: What They Don't Tell You at Journalism School [Paperback]

Tom Plate (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 9812613153 | ISBN-13: 978-9812613158 | Publication Date: December 8, 2006 | Edition: 1st

For better or for worse, the news media in the United States has huge worldwide influence. And yet little is actually known about its real inner workings, inherent logic and deeply embedded customs. In this revealing and sometimes brutally honest media autobiography, veteran American journalist Tom Plate tells you what it is really like to work inside these corridors of power. The author -- a syndicated newspaper columnist as well as a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) --takes you behind the scenes at iconic media institutions such as Time magazine, the Los Angeles Times and New York magazine. There you meet such factors of media life as the reality of the deadline, the speed of the news cycle, the inevitability of office politics, the debilitating impact of political correctness and the occasional great joys of journalism. For young adults who are considering a career in the news media, this compelling book is necessary reading; and for older professionals who in their work have to deal directly with the news media or who are deeply curious about its inner workings, this book will come as a true revelation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"His salty vignettes are as addictive as roasted peanuts, and much better for you, for they are bursting with life lessons earned in his 'no guts, no glory' way, and told with bracing verve." --The Straits Times (Sunday), 21 January 2007.

"Plate is worth reading... It's honest, all right -- a picaresque, gutsy, hilarious and sometimes appalling account of a life spent working at some of the most powerful and respected magazines and newspapers in the country, a yarn that Plate caps off with his "Ten Deadly Sins of Journalism Today..." --James Brady, Forbes.com, 1 March 2007

About the Author

Tom Plate is an experienced American journalist whose international career has seen him working at brand-name media institutions from London to Asia. Born in New York, he completed his undergraduate studies at Amherst College (Phi Beta Kappa) and Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. His twice-weekly syndicated column focusing on Asia and America runs regularly in a number of major newspapers, from Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Seattle and San Diego. He has received many journalism awards, including from the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the Greater Los Angeles Press Club. Professor Plate is now a full-time adjunct (contract) professor in the communication and policy studies departments at the University of California, Los Angeles. He teaches courses about American media and American governmental ethics, as well as courses on the media and the politics of Asia. He now lives in Beverly Hills with his wife Andrea and their four cats.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Editions; 1st edition (December 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9812613153
• ISBN-13: 978-9812613158
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,088,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Unmediocure Media Man...., May 19, 2008

By 

Eric L. Haschert (Philadelphia PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Confessions of an American Media Man: What They Don't Tell You at Journalism School (Paperback)

The Author of this book seems to have a hard time explaining what he is most proud of about his career in media. Yet he does so with a self effacement equal only to that of Ghandi. He wants to brag yet does not. I think it would have been better had he bragged. Anyway the book is very intersting and informative about how he managed to carve out a career in journalism for himself. Something that seems to be difficult yet he seems to have pulled it off without a hitch. He does have many legitimate successes that he should rightly be proud of yet he seems embarassed to toot his own horn. He is very happy to give the credit for his success to others whom he has admired and who had mentored him in his early years and even today. If you don't mind his awkwardness you'll get alot out of this book. Like he said they don't tell you what he does in school. I am glad he wrote this book because I know how you can unintentionally be blind to the bigger picture around you. Which is what makes this book good. An accurate description of the bigger picture and how not to get side tracked or misled into making the wrong decision. He also explains and rightly so how your integrity may be tested by that of others in situations where you need to keep it in mind that your integrity is what is important not getting a big scoop. He speaks a lot about how much character you have and how to rightly develope and use what you've got. All in all I am glad I bought this book because it shows me the side of journalism you often hear about but never get an example of. It also takes the focus off of what many journalists believe is the sacred cow and tells us what is most sacred about that cow and why it should be protected.