The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect, Completely Updated and Revised [Paperback]

Bill Kovach (Author), Tom Rosenstiel (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 24, 2007

The Book That Every Citizen and Journalist Should Read

“What this book does better than any single book on media history, ethics, or practice is
weave . . . [together] why media audiences have fled and why new technology and megacorporate ownership are putting good journalism at risk.” —Rasmi Simhan, Boston Globe

“Kovach and Rosenstiel’s essays on each [element] are concise gems, filled with insights worthy of becoming axiomatic. . . . The book should become essential reading for journalism professionals and students and for the citizens they aim to serve.” —Carl Sessions Stepp, American Journalism Review

“If you think journalists have no idea what you want . . . here is a book that agrees with you. Better—it has solutions. The Elements of Journalism is written for journalists, but any citizen who wonders why the news seems trivial or uninspiring should read it.” —Marta Salij, Detroit Free Press


The elements of journalism are:
* Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.
* Its first loyalty is to citizens.
* Its essence is a discipline of verification.
* Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover.
* It must serve as an independent monitor of power.
* It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
* It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant.
* It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional.
* Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"At a time when technological and financial forces are creating formidable challenges to journalism's traditional values, Kovach and Rosenstiel have written an immensely valuable primer on who we are, what we do, and how we should do it."
-- David Halberstam

"The Elements of Journalism is a remarkable book that does a superb job of describing the problems, articulating the values, outlining the risks, and offering understandable and practical ways to respond to the difficulties of the present state of journalism. The Elements of Journalism ought to become required reading for every institution (and individual) engaged in journalism."
— Neil Rudenstine, President, Harvard University

"Of the many books that have been written about reporting the news, this one best captures the shortcomings, subtleties, and possibilities of modern journalism. It deserves to become as indispensable to journalists and journalism students as The Elements of Style."
— Tom Goldstein, Dean, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University

"In an age when partisan rancor and ratings-driven showmanship have crowded out the more subtle virtues of solid journalism, Tom Rosenstiel and Bill Kovach provide a timely refresher course in the importance of press fundamentals. They remind us that at its best, journalism is a high public calling, and all those who practice it have a deeper obligation to their readers and viewers than to the demands of the market."
— David Talbot, editor-in-chief, Salon.com

About the Author

Bill Kovach is the chairman of the Committee of Concerned Journalists. Tom Rosenstiel is director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. They are the authors of Warp Speed: America in the Age of Mixed Media.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; Rev Upd edition (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307346706
• ISBN-13: 978-0307346704
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Education & Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Journalism & Nonfiction
  • #16 in Books > Business & Investing > Business Life > Ethics
  • #21 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Communication & Media Studies

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Journalism and Democracy May 2, 2009

By Robert E. Levasseur

Format:Paperback

Where are the Walter Cronkites of the world?

I don't know the answer to this question, but I have often wondered what happened to those highly respected, eminently fair, seemingly unbiased journalists who used to grace our television sets and newspapers.

This book, written by journalists on behalf of a group of high level, very concerned journalists, directly addresses in a most lucid and intelligent manner their belief that something is "seriously wrong" with their profession.

If awareness is indeed the first step on the road to recovery, this book bodes well for the development of a new journalism, one that is in sync with the electronic age and will, much like Walter Cronkite, inform us of the facts and encourage us to form our own opinions, as is our right and responsibility as citizens.

If you are concerned about our democracy and the important role that journalism plays in preserving it, I encourage you to read this excellent book.

Robert E. Levasseur, Ph.D., president of MindFire Press (www.mindfirepress.com).

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting, if sometimes repetitive, read October 16, 2010

By Jonathan VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a journalism student, I found this book to be a valuable read. My journalism classes tend to be discussion-format with few absolutes and lots of conditionals. In that respect this book was worthwhile, if for nothing else than its laying out a sort of journalistic ten commandments.

The book can best be summarized as a state of the union address for journalists, examining the way things stand in the industry, how they got there and where they may be going. It does this within a context of a refresher course of Journalism 101 fundamentals, massaged and embellished slighty so that people familiar with the concepts won't simply skim over them. Some people may take issue with the authors' views on bias and conscience, but you can't say they don't make a decent case for them.

Most of the book will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with journalism today, but Kovach and Rosenstiel do a good job of delivering it in a concise and interesting way. In more than a few chapters they retread ground they covered earlier, which got a little annoying after a while. Other than those instances, the book is very well-written and is a good read for anyone who is involved with journalism, either as a consumer or as a producer.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on journailstic values and the state of the trade written in recent history January 25, 2010

By Jacob Probus

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is deeply informative and technical, yet it maintains entertaining elements and a can't-put-it-down pace -- I read it in less than a week.

Kovach and Rosenstiel get at the true meaning of what it is to be a journalist. They convincingly make the case for saving journalism -- showing that it is an imperative task if our democracy is to survive intact.

This book should be required reading for journalism students and professionals -- and those citizens who are serious about their news consumption and participation in our great democracy.