How to Watch TV News: Revised Edition [Paperback]

Neil Postman (Author), Steve Powers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 24, 2008

A scathing and prescient look at television news—now updated for the new tech-savvy generation

Television news : genuine information or entertainment fodder? Fifteen years ago, Neil Postman, a pioneer in media education and author of the bestselling Amusing Ourselves to Death, and Steve Powers, an award-winning broadcast journalist, concluded that anyone who relies exclusively on their television for accurate world news is making a big mistake. A cash cow laden with money from advertisers, so-called news shows glut viewers with celebrity coverage at the cost of things they really should know. Today, this message is still appallingly true but the problems have multiplied— along with the power of the Internet and the abundance of cable channels. A must-read for anyone concerned with the way media is manipulating our worldview, this newly revised edition addresses the evolving technology and devolving quality of America’s television news programming.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Neil Postman was chairman of the department of communication arts at New York University. He passed away in 2003. Steve Powers is an Emmy Award-winning journalist with more than forty-five years experience in broadcast news.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Revised edition (June 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143113771
• ISBN-13: 978-0143113775
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,824 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Neil Postman was chairman of the department of communication arts at New York University. He passed away in 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For News Junkies and Students Looking to Break Into TV Journalism, July 2, 2008

By 

D. O'Brien (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Watch TV News: Revised Edition (Paperback)

Truly eye-opening and fascinating. I read the first edition quite a few years back and eagerly read the newly revised edition that addresses the web and how it further affects the devolving quality of America's television news programming. It's astounding how little we truly know about something that is such an integral part of our everyday lives. The world of news can be overwhelming, and as a medium can't always be trusted. This book illuminates its inner workings in an easy and interesting way. You will never "watch" news the same way again after reading this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What you don't know you don't know, October 14, 2009

By 

D. Rhone (City of Angels) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Watch TV News: Revised Edition (Paperback)

How to Watch TV News is an excellent resource for the budding media theorist or the person who wants to know why New Orleans and the Iraq War do not get the same airtime as a news anchor saying "Keep $#&* that chicken!"

The argument is simple - we need to learn HOW to watch TV. The understanding and properly contextualizing media (TV or otherwise) is not a given. It is not inherent to our DNA to know why some stories are presented in certain ways and others not at all.

The book exposes the danger and resulting vulnerability we all face when engaging with our televisions in an uninformed way.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The real deal, August 5, 2008

By 

Emile D. Menasche "SomeEditorGuy" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Watch TV News: Revised Edition (Paperback)

Powers is the real deal--he's been in the news business forever--and he also knows how to explain and to look behind and beyond the obvious. Great read, and truly informative. You won't watch TV the same way again.