This Just In [Paperback]

Yolanda Joe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2001

Bestselling author Yolanda Joe offers a warm, witty, and provocative look at broadcast news--where the real action happens behind the camera.

At WKBA in Chicago, five women--four black and one white--are walking a tightrope of determination and ruthlessness, race and relations, personal life and office politics. While fighting to survive in the old-boys network, they are forced to tackle the biggest story of all . . . their own lives:

Holly Johnston--Reporter/Anchor. Hoping to be more than eye candy, she's got the reigning "Dragon Diva" to contend with--and that lady fights with fire.

Alexandra Harbor--Photographer. Street smart and burned out. Can her fierce talent keep her afloat as the station faces a ratings plunge?

Kenya Adams--News Writer/Producer. Struggling to transform her print skills into TV news, her drive to succeed is wreaking havoc on her home life.

Meg "Beans" Rippley--Camerawoman. A shattering incident will put her on the dividing line between black and white, where there are no shades of gray.

Denise Mitzler--Upper Management. Tough and ambitious, she has set her sights on the top; but a harrowing choice will challenge her sense of right.

This Just In . . . is a delicious peek at what the viewer doesn't see--the hot stories that spring from the heart of five very different women as they jockey for respect in a fiercely competitive world. At once moving and hilarious, it resonates with Yolanda Joe's heartfelt message about women, life, and love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gender issues and racial politics inflect a Chicago TV newsroom in Joe's (Bebe's By Golly Wow) fast-paced but didactic novel, a derivative Broadcast News or Murphy Brown with African-American protagonists. Poor morale and low ratings haunt WKBA's news division, but many of the ambitious black women who work there scramble for recognition and promotion while trying to stay true to their ethics. Fights between producers and writers, senior anchors and young hopeful reporters, studio bigwigs and technical workers, union-seeking employees and the management are all part of the multifaceted drama. Photographer Alex Harbor is tired of unending battles against racism and sexism, and writer Kenya Adams is at the end of her rope with a demanding schedule that threatens her family life. When the news director gets canned for low ratings, news manager Denise Mitzler sees an opportunity to move up the ladder, but she loses the job to a black male brought in from outside, Xavier "Glory" Helston, who wins over many with his interest in employee grievances. The feisty women try to control their destinies: Denise threatens to sue; Holly creates an emergency that allows her to anchor the news; Kenya recovers from an embarrassing gaffe at an important industry party; photographer Megan invests heavily in the stock market to finance her own company. Joe's novel is structured like a news broadcast, with chapter headings as preview "teasers," but the gimmick is awkward. Many of the characters sound alike, and with so many dramatic crises, the interchangeability of characters makes the plot stagger as if the TelePrompTer has gone awry. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Yolanda Joe's latest novel reads like breaking news: fast-paced, attention-grabbing, dramatic."
--Black Issues Book Review

"This Just In is an unpretentious and sassy bonding novel about the lives and careers of four African-American women working at fictional broadcast news station WKBA."
--Philadelphia Weekly

"A refreshing departure from the girl-friends-and man-trouble plots . . . A fast-paced and sometimes humorous journey through life in the newsroom."
--Kansas City Star

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: One World/Ballantine; 1st Ballantine Books Ed edition (August 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345446461
• ISBN-13: 978-0345446466
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,603,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A little different, but worth the read, May 28, 2000

By 

J.C. Wallington "jnettefrommi" (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: This Just In (Hardcover)

This was not the typical Yolanda Joe of Bebe By Golly Wow and He Say/She Say fame, but it was a good read. Ms Joe captures corporate America as she changes venues from her relationship books. She gives us an good look at the ongoing on in what some consider the glamourous world of television newcasting. They make it look so easy on the news, but oh.. the behind the scenes action can be more exciting. I found the characters real and very interesting, and easy to relate to. Even thought there was alot of racism and sexism, I found the book easy to read and and quite interesting. Looking forward to Yolanda Joe's next change as she tackles mysteries.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, April 25, 2000

By 

"salonegyal" - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Just In (Hardcover)

'This Just In' is a thoroughly satisfying read. Yolanda Joe aptly describes her characters and the world of broadcast journalism. Before reading this novel, I knew nothing about the field. I now feel like I know the inner workings and the cut-throat enviornment of broadcast journalism. The characters were shown in realistic settings, with real life experiences. Their methods of problem solving were interesting. I like this novel because I could relate to the characters and I could feel what they were feeling and for the same reasons. This Just in is cetainly worth the money that I spent on it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YoJoe writes from the heart, September 16, 2000

By 

Tracie Potts (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Just In (Hardcover)

This was my first Yolanda Joe book, but it won't be my last! I really liked her style -- so easy to read. And as someone who's been in the TV business for 9 years, I can attest that every word is TRUE! Joe handles with finesse the issues we all deal with every day, and not just in the TV industry: balancing family and work, climbing the corporate ladder, relationships. Reading her book was like having a good heart-to-heart with your girlfriends. When I finished I felt like a good friend had just said to be "Girl, I know what you're going through, but there's hope!" Though the book's central characters are primarily African American, the themes and issues she deals with transcend race. It's worth picking up a copy -- you'll enjoy this!