From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up—Streissguth discusses media bias throughout American history, from the first newspaper in 1690 to use of the Internet and other new forums, pointing out how they shape public opinion of political issues, and vice versa. He shows how political affiliations of the news providers mold what we hear and read. The information will be useful to those who are beginning to pay attention to politics and popular opinions in television news, radio broadcasting, print, and blogs. Each section contains definitions of commonly used terms in politically driven news stories, such as "right" and "left," and single-page boxes focusing on various individuals and news items, such as Edward R. Murrow's broadcasts that helped to end Senator McCarthy's Communist hunt. The book describes efforts of major newspapers and networks to move toward presenting investigation-based news rather than propagation of biases, and warns readers to consult various sources in order to best discern the truth. Media coverage of war and political scandals, and the future of media bias, are also discussed. This is an appropriate support for classroom debates.—Jodi Kearns, University of Akron, OH
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
